ITALIAN RESPONSE TO PRE- GAERC POINTS ON DPRK,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005569

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2007
TAGS: PREL PARM KN TU CY IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO PRE- GAERC POINTS ON DPRK,
TURKEY, AND CYPRUS

REF: SECSTATE 229594

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CLASSIFIED BY: POLMC T. COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) ON NOVEMBER 14, POLMINCOUNS DELIVERED REFTEL POINTS
TO ROCCO ANTONIO CANGELOSI, MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION. ON THE DPRK, CANGELOSI'S WANTED TO KNOW, "WHAT
DO YOU EXPECT FROM THEM IN ORDER TO REOPEN THE DIALOGUE?"
POLMINCOUNS REPLIED THAT WE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN ANYTHING
THE DPRK HAD TO SAY; WHAT WE EXPECTED WAS AN END TO THE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. CANGELOSI ASKED IF WE WERE SURE
THAT THE PROGRAM HAD RESUMED. POLMINCOUNS ASSURED HIM THAT
THE EVIDENCE WAS CLEAR, AS WAS THEIR ADMISSION.


2. (C) ON TURKEY, POLMINCOUNS STRESSED THAT NOT ONLY WAS
TAYYIP ERDOGAN SAYING "ALL THE RIGHT THINGS," BUT WE BELIEVED
THAT THE ELECTION RESULTS PRESENTED A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE EU AND FOR TURKEY, SINCE THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT WAS
NOW BOTH PRO-EU AND PRO-REFORM. CANGELOSI SAID THE GOI
SHARED THIS ANALYSIS AND FURTHERMORE BELIEVED THAT ERDOGAN
WOULD NOT JEOPARDIZE TURKISH SECULARISM. IN RESPONSE TO
POLMINCOUNS' REMARK THAT THE EU NEEDED TO SET A DATE FOR
TURKISH ACCESSION TALKS, AS PRIME MINISTER AND ACTING FOREIGN
MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI HAD REQUESTED, CANGELOSI SAID THAT
BERLUSCONI WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING SUPPORT AMONG
HIS EU COUNTERPARTS FOR THIS SUGGESTION. ACCESSION TALKS
WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A CLOSED MEETING, WHICH THE TURKS DID
NOT FAVOR. IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AGREED, HOWEVER, THE EU
COULD DO IT PUBLICLY.


3. (C) WITH REGARD TO CYPRUS, CANGELOSI REMARKED THAT THE
EU VIEWED TURKISH ACCESSION, THE EU-NATO RELATIONSHIP IN
ESDP, AND CYPRUS AS "ALL A PACKAGE." THEY WOULD ALL NEED TO
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BE RESOLVED WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME OF EACH OTHER. SINCE
ERDOGAN SEEMED TO BE OPEN TO THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S
CYPRUS PROPOSAL, HE EXPECTED SOME PROGRESS IN PRAGUE.


4. (SBU) FINALLY, POLMINCOUNS ASKED WHETHER AN EU MISSION
IN MACEDONIA WOULD BE ON THE GAERC AGENDA. CANGELOSI SAID
THAT ONLY A PROGRESS REPORT WAS EXPECTED, AS THE SITUATION
HAD NOT CHANGED.
SKODON

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2002ROME05569 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL