GOI TO NAME SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR CYPRUS; WILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002862 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2012 TAGS: PREL CY GR IT TU EU EUN SUBJECT: GOI TO NAME SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR CYPRUS; WILL PUSH TIMETABLE FOR TURKEY'S EU ENTRY CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ON JUNE 10, THE ITALIAN MFA'S DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, MAURIZIO MORENO, AND DIRECTOR FOR SOUTHERN EUROPE, GIOVANNI RICCIULI, TOLD SPECIAL CYPRUS COORDINATOR TOM WESTON THAT ITALY WOULD APPOINT ITS OWN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CYPRUS, SOMEONE OF APPROPRIATE RANK AND CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 02862 121804Z EXPERIENCE WHO CAN FOCUS ON THE ISSUES, WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS. MORENO ALSO SAID THAT WHILE THE GOI WOULD CONTINUE TO KEEP PRESSURE ON TURKEY REGARDING CYPRUS, IT WOULD ALSO LOBBY THE EU TO ESTABLISH A TIMETABLE FOR TURKEY'S ACCESSION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) AMB. WESTON OPENED THE MEETING BY SUMMARIZING FOR MORENO THE STATUS OF CYPRUS NEGOTIATIONS TO DATE, AND NOTED THAT THERE WAS NOW A "WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY" FOR PROGRESS, GIVEN THE DYNAMIC POLITICAL SITUATION IN ANKARA. WESTON EXPLAINED THAT HIS VISIT WAS TIMED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SITUATION, AND THAT HIS UPCOMING TALKS IN ANKARA, ATHENS, AND NICOSIA WOULD BE DESIGNED TO PUSH HARD FOR PROGRESS ON ALL SIDES, OR AT A MINIMUM, HALT ANY BACKSLIDING. IF THERE WERE NO AGREEMENT BY JUNE, CONTINUED WESTON, THE TALKS WOULD CONTINUE AFTER A SHORT BREAK. ¶3. (C) MORENO THANKED WESTON FOR THE SUMMARY, AND NOTED THAT HIS VISIT TO THE REGION CAME AT A CRITICAL TIME. CYPRUS IS AN ISSUE OF GREAT CONCERN TO THE GOI, AND ITALY WAS READY TO DO WHAT IT COULD TO "SPEED UP" THE PROCESS IN CYPRUS. PROGRESS WILL BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERING THAT IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT CYPRUS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT ROUND OF EU ENLARGEMENT, CONTINUED MORENO, AND IT IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT THE GOI WANTS ON THE AGENDA WHEN THE IT ASSUMES THE EU PRESIDENCY IN THE LATTER HALF OF 2003. ACCORDINGLY, THE GOI IS CONSIDERING TAKING SOME CONCRETE STEPS TO MOVE THE PROCESS, INCLUDING NAMING A HIGH-LEVEL ENVOY TO FOCUS SOLELY ON CYPRUS WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, A VISIT SOON TO THE THREE CAPITALS BY UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERTO ANTONIONE, AND A VISIT TO ANKARA BY PM BERLUSCONI IN JULY. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 02862 121804Z ¶4. (C) MORENO SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO "KEEP THE PRESSURE ON" TURKEY; THE GOI WOULD USE THE PROPOSED VISITS AND ENVO TO DO JUST THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROGRESS THUS FAR BY TURKEY. INANCIAL AID MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, SAID MORENO, ANDTHEREFORE THE GOI WOULD LIKE THE EU TO APPROVE A TIMETABLE FOR TURKISH ACCESSION. MORENO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE A POPULAR INITIATIVE AMON MANY EU MEMBERS. NONETHELESS, HE SAID, ITALY BEIEVES THIS CONCESSION TO TURKEY MAY BE NECESSARYTO KEEP THE CYPRUS TALKS ON TRACK. ¶5. (U) AMBSSADOR WESTON HAS CLEARED THIS CABLE. SEMBLE CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME02862 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL