COMMUNICATIONS BILATERAL: UPDATE AND GOI REQUEST

UNCLAS ROME 005720 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED PASSING INSTR. FOR FCC) EB/CIP FOR FINTON; FCC FOR COMMISSIONER ABERNATHY; COMMERCE FOR NTIA, DOJ FOR WILNER FCC/IB - COOPER AND THOMAS E.O. 12958: N/A UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 05720 271008Z TAGS: ETRD IT ECIP WTRO EUN SUBJECT: COMMUNICATIONS BILATERAL: UPDATE AND GOI REQUEST REF: A. ROME 5535 ¶B. DOHERTY/FINTON COMMUNICATIONS ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST, PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPH 3. ¶2. ECONCOUNS MET WITH COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY SENIOR OFFICIALS NOVEMBER 20 AS A FOLLOW ON TO OUR OCTOBER 30 MEETING (REFTEL). PENDING RUBBERSTAMP BY COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER GASPARRI, SECRETARY GENERAL VITTORIO STELO HAS NO OBJECTIONS TO POSTPONING BILATERAL MEETING DATES TO MARCH 6 AND 7. (EMBASSY COMMENT: IN VIEW OF UPCOMING ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO RESCHEDULE DATES FOR BILATERAL MEETINGS AGAIN.) ¶3. MINISTRY OFFICIALS REQUESTED THAT WE PROVIDE THEM NO LATER THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER A PROPOSED DETAILED AGENDA (I.E., SPECIFIC DISCUSSION ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE USG RATHER THAN GENERIC THEMES SUCH AS &E-COMMERCE8 OR &AUDIOVISUAL8). THEY WILL PROVIDE EMBASSY WITH THEIR OWN &WISH-LIST8 WITHIN THE SAME TIMEFRAME. MINISTRY OFFICIALS ANTICIPATED THAT TWO AREAS THEY ARE CURRENTLY PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON ARE COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AND WRC. THEY WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP EXTENSIVELY THE SECURITY ISSUES (AS PER REFTEL, THEY PROPOSE SECURITY ISSUES TO OCCUPY THE ENTIRE FIRST AFTERNOON),WHILE THEY WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS CERTAIN KEY WRC QUESTIONS AS PART OF ONE OF THE THREE/FOUR MARCH 7 SESSIONS. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 05720 271008Z ¶4. REGARDING FUNDING, WE ENVISION EB WILL NEED TO BUDGET FOR THE FOLLOWING: TRANSPORTATION. IN PRINCIPLE, SINCE THE BILATERAL WILL BE HELD ENTIRELY ON SITE AT THE COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY, THE ONLY TRANSPORTATION NEEDED WILL BE TO AND FROM THE MINISTRY. THIS CAN BE ARRANGED AT NO COST THROUGH REGULAR MOTOR POOL SERVICES. HOWEVER, SINCE MEETINGS ARE LIKELY TO RUN PAST REGULAR OFFICE HOURS AND ALSO SINCE TRANSPORTATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM REPRESENTATIONAL EVENTS, WE ESTIMATE THAT APPROXIMATELY 300-350 USD SHOULD BE BUDGETED TO COVER DRIVER OVERTIME COSTS FOR THE DAYS OF MARCH 6 AND 7. INTERPRETATION COSTS. COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY OFFICIALS HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE WILLING TAKE ON ALL COSTS FOR TECHNICAL/EQUIPMENT SUPPORT, BUT HAVE ASKED THAT WE SHARE THE COST OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION (I.E., USG AND GOI WOULD COVER ONE DAY EACH). WE ESTIMATE THAT ONE INTERPRETATION DAY WILL COST APPROXIMATELY 1000 USD. REPRESENTATIONAL EVENT. THE MINISTRY IS PLANNING TO HOST ONE DINNER AND TWO BUSINESS LUNCHES (IN ADDITION TO A SERIES OF COFFEE BREAKS). WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THE USG TO HOST A SEPARATE REPRESENTATIONAL EVENT. COST WOULD DEPEND VERY MUCH ON THE TYPE OF EVENT. WE WOULD ESTIMATE THAT A DINNER EVENT AT THE AMBASSADOR,S RESIDENCE TO INCLUDE ALL BILATERAL PARTICIPANTS (USG AND GOI) PLUS SELECTED SENIOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR CONTACTS WOULD RANGE BETWEEN 1600 AND 2000 USD. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 05720 271008Z ¶5. SEPARATELY, BOTH THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (AMCHAM) IN ITALY AND ITALIAN PRIVATE SECTOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATORS HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN MEETING WITH THE U.S. DELEGATION OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT BILATERALS. IT HAS BEEN TRADITION FOR THE AMCHAM TO HOST HIGH LEVEL U.S. VISITORS (MOST RECENTLY AMCHAM HOSTED A DINNER RECEPTION IN HONOR OF COMMERCE UNDERSECRETARY JAMES ROGAN). SUCH EVENT WOULD DEPEND ON AVAILABILITY AND ARRIVAL DATES OF DELEGATION. EMBASSY WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE DELEGATION MEET WITH ITALIAN OPERATORS, PRINCIPALLY TO OBTAIN INDUSTRY VIEWS REGARDING THE ITALIAN COMMUNICATIONS MARKETS AND TO SOUND THEM OUT ON POSSIBLE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. OPERATORS. SEMBLER UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME05720