Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ROME1918
2002-04-17 14:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN

Tags:  PREL IT NATO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001918 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2012
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PAGE 02 ROME 01918 01 OF 02 171715Z
TAGS: PREL PREL IT NATO ITNATO
SUBJECT: U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN
OFFICIALS ON PRAGUE SUMMIT


CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DCM MARGARET DEAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B),(D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001918

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2012
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PAGE 02 ROME 01918 01 OF 02 171715Z
TAGS: PREL PREL ITALY'>IT NATO ITNATO
SUBJECT: U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN
OFFICIALS ON PRAGUE SUMMIT


CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING DCM MARGARET DEAN FOR REASONS 1.5(B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. THE GOI AGREES THAT THE PRAGUE SUMMIT SHOULD
BE A SUBSTANTIVE MEETING THAT COVERS MORE THAN JUST NATO
ENLARGEMENT. MEETING WITH U/S GROSSMAN AND HIS DELEGATION IN
ROME ON APRIL 16, SENIOR ITALIAN OFFICIALS ENDORSED THE IDEA
OF REDEFINING THE DEFENSE CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE TO FOCUS ON
A FEW ACHIEVABLE PRIORITIES, EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE
UNIFIED COMMAND PLAN'S IMPACT ON NATO, AGREED THAT PRAGUE
WOULD PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER HIGH READINESS FORCE
HEADQUARTERS DETAILS, AND DISCUSSED NATO-RUSSIA RELATIONS.
END SUMMARY.

NEW CAPABILITIES
--------------

2. (C) U/S GROSSMAN'S DELEGATION REVIEWED U.S. GOALS FOR THE
NATO SUMMIT IN PRAGUE WITH SENIOR MFA AND MOD OFFICIALS IN
ROME ON APRIL 16. THE ITALIAN DELEGATION, HEADED BY MFA
SECRETARY GENERAL BALDOCCI, INCLUDED MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR

SIPDIS
ARAGONA, VICE CHOD CAMPORINI, MOD DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR GRECO,
MFA MINISTER FOR SECURITY AFFAIRS PENSA, AND MFA NATO OFFICE
DIRECTOR BRAUZZI. ON NEW CAPABILITIES, BALDOCCI, ARAGONA,
AND GEN. CAMPORINI AGREED THAT INTRODUCING A NEW, MORE
FOCUSED CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE AT PRAGUE WOULD BE
CONSTRUCTIVE. CAMPORINI NOTED THAT ITALY'S LIMITED DEFENSE
FUNDS HAVE BEEN WISELY INVESTED IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE PAYING
OFF, SUCH AS THE ADDITION OF LIFT CAPACITY WITH THE PURCHASE
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PAGE 03 ROME 01918 01 OF 02 171715Z
OF 24 C130JS. HE SUGGESTED THAT NATO EXAMINE THE CAPABILITIES
OF A NEW COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE PROJECT THAT COULD MEET
SOME ALLIED REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EXCESSIVE COST (LESS THAN
$500 MILLION FROM DESIGN TO OPERATION).


3. (C) CAMPORINI EXPRESSED SOME DOUBTS ABOUT POOLING FORCES
AND RESOURCES UNTIL THE POLITICAL ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.
SHARING CAPABILITIES BETWEEN NATO AND THE EU IS AN IMPORTANT
PREREQUISITE TO ANY COOPERATIVE POOLING EFFORT, HE SAID.
ESDP MUST COMPLEMENT NATO, AND NATO FORCES MUST BE AVAILABLE
FOR ALL POSSIBLE REQUIREMENTS. U/S GROSSMAN EMPHASIZED THAT
THE US WANTS ESDP TO SUCCEED BUT IS CONCERNED THAT THE EU MAY

FAIL TO FULFILL THE HEADLINE GOAL BY 2003. U/S GROSSMAN
URGED THE EU TO RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GREECE AND
TURKEY AND COMPLETE THE BERLIN PLUS PROCESS SO THAT ESDP CAN
MOVE FORWARD. BEFORE THE QUESTION OF NATO'S FUTURE ROLE CAN
TRULY BE ADDRESSED, THE ALLIANCE NEEDS TO BE MORE BALANCED IN
TERMS OF MILITARY CAPABILITIES, U/S GROSSMAN SAID.


4. (C) DISCUSSION IN PRAGUE OF THE HRF HEADQUARTERS WOULD BE
USEFUL, ACCORDING TO CAMPORINI. THE HRF CANDIDACY PROCESS,
WHICH PITTED NATO COUNTRIES AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN AN
EXPENSIVE EXERCISE, WAS NOT CONSTRUCTIVE, HE ADDED. NOW THAT
WE HAVE SIX NATO ELEMENTS, WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH
THEM. HE ENDORSED A RECENT BRITISH IDEA OF PAIRING UP HRF
COMMANDS. WHILE THIS MAY RESULT IN A REDUNDANCY OF
RESOURCES, CAMPORINI SAID IT COULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION.
ITALY SUPPORTS A MORE RATIONAL APPROACH TO CAOC'S AND JOC'S,
CAMPORINI SAID, ALTHOUGH THE GOI IS NOT IN A POSITION TO
START THE DISCUSSION ON RATIONALIZING THESE COMMANDS. ONCE
THE DISCUSSION IS UNDERWAY, ITALY IS WILLING TO PARTICIPATE,
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PAGE 04 ROME 01918 01 OF 02 171715Z
AND IS EVEN PREPARED TO MAKE SACRIFICES THAT WOULD IMPROVE
THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ALLIANCE.


5. (C) BALDOCCI AND OTHER KEY DELEGATION MEMBERS EXPRESSED
PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THE FUTURE OF SACLANT AND SACEUR UNDER
THE NEW UCP. THEY URGED THAT MAJOR NATO COMMANDERS REMAIN
DOUBLE-HATTED, WITH BOTH A NATO AND A SIGNIFICANT US COMMAND.
FROM THE ALLIES' POINT OF VIEW, HE SAID, THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT LINK THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED BECAUSE OF THE STRONG
MESSAGE IT SENDS.

NEW MEMBERS
--------------

6. (C) THE ITALIANS AGREED THAT ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA ARE NOT
READY FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP BUT SHOULD FEEL THE ENLARGEMENT
PROCESS IS FAIR. BALDOCCI NOTED THAT POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
MAY IMPACT ENLARGEMENT BUT REITERATED THAT A GEOSTRATEGIC
BALANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR ITALY. PRIME
MINISTER BERLUSCONI WILL PUBLICLY EXPRESS ITALY'S SUPPORT FOR
MEMBERSHIP FOR BULGARIA AND ROMANIA DURING HIS STOPS IN SOFIA

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PAGE 01 ROME 01918 02 OF 02 171715Z
ACTION P-00

INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 SRPP-00 EUR-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00
INR-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00
PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00
T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
-------------- 879BC3 171715Z /45
O 171456Z APR 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3312
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KIEV IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY RIGA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY SKOPJE IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY SOFIA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY TALLINN IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY TIRANA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY VILNIUS IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ZAGREB IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001918

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2012
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01918 02 OF 02 171715Z
TAGS: PREL PREL IT NATO ITNATO
SUBJECT: U/S GROSSMAN DELEGATION CONSULTS WITH ITALIAN
OFFICIALS ON PRAGUE SUMMIT

AND BUCHAREST ON APRIL 17 AND 18, THEY SAID, BUT HE WILL ALSO
ENCOURAGE THOSE COUNTRIES TO CONTINUE WITH NEEDED REFORMS TO
REACH NATO STANDARDS. ON SLOVAKIA, U/S GROSSMAN AND DAS
BRADTKE EXPLAINED THAT FUNDING NGO EFFORTS TO GET THE VOTE
OUT MAY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND LEAST INTRUSIVE WAY TO HELP
SLOVAKIA PRESERVE ITS MEMBERSHIP POSSIBILITIES.


7. (C) ARAGONA AND BALDOCCI STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF
PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE NATO MILITARY STRUCTURE,
INCLUDING COLLECTIVE DECISION-MAKING. FRAGMENTATION COULD BE
A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE WHOLE STRUCTURE, HE WARNED. THEY
AGREED THAT ENLARGEMENT WILL PRESENT OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE
NEED TO CREATE A MECHANISM TO SUSPEND OR EXPEL NATO MEMBERS
AS THE COHERENCE OF THE ALLIANCE IS DILUTED. THIS HAS BEEN
SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL IN EUROPEAN DEBATES, ARAGONA SAID, BUT
IS AN IDEA ITALY COULD SUPPORT.

NEW RELATIONSHIPS
--------------

8. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT RUSSIA'S POSITION ON MEMBERSHIP FOR
THE BALTICS, U/S GROSSMAN EMPHASIZED THAT ONE REASON FOR
HOLDING A NATO-RUSSIA SUMMIT IN ROME IN LATE MAY IS TO HELP
PRESIDENT PUTIN NEUTRALIZE OPPOSITION TO ENLARGEMENT. ITALY,
ALONG WITH OTHER ALLIES, WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE MAY
SUMMIT IN ROME RESOLVES RUSSIA'S PUBLIC OPINION PROBLEMS SO
THAT THESE WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PRAGUE SUMMIT. DAS
BRADTKE SUGGESTED THAT ENCOURAGING THE BALTICS TO STATE THAT
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PAGE 03 ROME 01918 02 OF 02 171715Z
THEY WOULD LIKE TO JOIN CFE WHEN POSSIBLE MAY ALSO HELP PUTIN
WITH RUSSIAN PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS ON ENLARGEMENT.


9. (U) THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CLEARED BY U/S GROSSMAN.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME01918 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL