ITALY: POINTS FOR PM'S TRIP TO RUSSIA AND

1. (C) ON OCT 15 DCM BRIEFED PM BERLUSCONI DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR
CASTELLANETA ON USG CONCERNS REGARDING RUSSIAN POLICIES
TOWARD IRAQ AND IRAN, USING POINTS IN REF A, IN PREPARATION
FOR THE PM'S OCT 16 MEETING WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN IN MOSCOW.
(NOTE: CASTELLANETA HAD REQUESTED THIS BRIEFING ON BEHALF OF
BERLUSCONI, SO THAT THE PM COULD BE AWARE OF ANY POINTS THE
USG RECOMMENDED HE EMPHASIZE TO PUTIN. END NOTE.)
CASTELLANETA, A FORMER GOI AMBASSADOR TO TEHRAN, WAS
ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN USG POINTS REGARDING RUSSIAN
INVOLVEMENT IN IRANIAN COVERT AND OVERT NUCLEAR PROGRAMS AND
THE THREAT THAT POSED TO U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS. REGARDING
IRAQ, HE COMMENTED THAT THE PM AGREED COMPLETELY WITH USG
POINTS ON THE NEED FOR A FIRM AND UNITED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT
TO PRESSURE SADDAM TO GIVE UP HIS WMD. CASTELLANETA SAID
THAT THE SOLE EVENT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE PM'S ONE-DAY
MOSCOW TRIP WAS A LONG ONE-PLUS-ONE LUNCH WITH PUTIN.
CASTELLANETA EXPECTED HE WOULD BE THE PLUS-ONE ON THE ITALIAN
SIDE. CASTELLANETA ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A SLIM
POSSIBILITY THAT THE PM'S RETURN FLIGHT WOULD BE RE-ROUTED
THROUGH BERLIN THE EVENING OF OCT 16, IF/IF A MEETING COULD
BE SCHEDULED WITH THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR.



2. (C) ON OCT 10, DCM AND POL MC RAISED REF B POINTS ON IRAN
WITH PIETRO SEBASTIANI, DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR FOR PIERFERDINANDO
CASINI, PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES. CASINI HAD
REQUESTED USG INPUT PRIOR TO HIS TRIP TO IRAN. THEY STRESSED
THAT, EVEN THOUGH CASINI WAS NOT LIKELY TO MEET IRANIAN
OFFICIALS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH WMD AND TERRORISM ISSUES, IT
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PAGE 03 ROME 05036 161329Z
WAS IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY HOW VITAL
SUCH ISSUES WERE IN BUILDING STRONG TIES WITH EUROPE. THE
IRANIAN PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT EQUATE THE EU
ENGAGEMENT POLICY WITH TACIT ACCEPTANCE OF IRAN'S WMD OR
TERRORISM RECORD.



3. (C) ON OCT 14, CASINI INFORMED THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE
WOULD GO TO IRAN OCT 31-NOV 4. AS THE DCM DID WITH
SEBASTIANI, THE AMBASSADOR OFFERED TO PROVIDE CASINI BOTH
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND INTELLIGENCE-DERIVED BRIEFINGS ON IRAN,
WHICH CASINI ACCEPTED. EMBASSY IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO
ARRANGE THOSE BRIEFINGS.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME05036 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL