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
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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.
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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.

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2002ROME02862 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL