ITALY'S INPUT FOR G-8 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005961 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2012 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL RS IT UN SUBJECT: ITALY'S INPUT FOR G-8 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP MEETING CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 05961 121403Z REF: SECSTATE 243941 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) MFA OFFICIALS IN THE DISARMAMENT BUREAU APOLOGIZED FOR THEIR DELAY IN RESPONDING TO REFTEL QUERIES AND HAVE NOW SHARED WITH US THE POINTS BELOW. ¶2. (C) STATUS OF DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIANS: THE GOI MET WITH THE GOR AT THE POLITICAL DIRECTORS LEVEL IN MOSCOW JULY 15-16, HAD AN INFORMAL MEETING IN OTTAWA ON SEPT. 26, AND ANOTHER MEETING IN MOSCOW ON OCT. 14. THE LATEST MEETING INVOLVED THE NATIONAL MUNITIONS AGENCY, THE MINISTRY OF ATOMIC ENERGY (MINATOM),AND AMBASSADOR LYSSENKO AT THE MID. THE GOI SUBMITTED TO THE GOR A DRAFT TEXT FOR A "FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT" AND HOPES TO START NEGOTIATIONS SOON. THE NATIONAL MUNITIONS AGENCY SUGGESTED THAT ITALY TAKE THE LEAD FOR THE CW DESTRUCTION PLAN PROJECT IN POCHEP. THE MINATOM WAS NOT YET PREPARED TO MAKE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. ¶3. (C) GUIDELINES AND PRACTICAL STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION: THE GOI, THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT, IS SEEKING TO TRANSPOSE INTO A LEGALLY BINDING TEXT THE POLITICAL COMMITMENTS CONTAINED IN THE KANANASKIS GUIDELINES. IN PARTICULAR, THE GOI ASSIGNS GREAT RELEVANCE TO ISSUES RELATED TO LIABILITY, TAXATION, FISCAL ASPECTS, AND PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES WHICH WOULD BE GRANTED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF ITALY WORKING ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 05961 121403Z ¶4. (C) TASK FORCE: THE GOI ESTABLISHED A TASK FORCE, LED BY THE MFA AND INCLUDING ALL RELEVANT AGENCIES AND MINISTRIES, IN PARTICULAR THE MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES. THE TASK FORCE IS CURRENTLY FOCUSING ON THE DESTRUCTION OF CW AND THE DECOMMISSIONING OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINES. THE TASK FORCE HAS UNDERSCORED THAT ITALY'S FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION SHOULD BE LINKED TO SPECIFIC AND DETAILED PROJECTS. ¶5. (C) CHEMICAL WEAPONS: SCHUCH'YE (GAS PIPELINE): ITALY IS CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GAS PIPELINE IN ORDER TO SUPPLY ENERGY TO THE DESTRUCTION FACILITY AND THE TOWN OF SCHUCH'YE. THE GOI IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE PIPELINE. ¶6. (C) CHEMICAL WEAPONS: POCHEP (DE-TOXIFICATION OF NERVE AGENTS): THE RUSSIANS HAVE PROPOSED IN PRINCIPLE THAT THE ITALIANS TAKE THE LEAD IN THIS PROJECT, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE DETOXIFICATION OF NERVE AGENTS, WITH SUBSEQUENT TRANSFER TO THE SCHUCH'YE DESTRUCTION FACILITY. ITALY IS STILL AWAITING SPECIFIC RUSSIAN PROPOSALS. ¶7. (C) NUCLEAR SUBMARINES: NO SPECIFIC PROJECT PROPOSAL HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO ITALY. THE GOI HAS ASKED RUSSIA FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE SAEDA BAY PROJECT. THE POSSIBLE SUPPLY OF HEAVY CRANES IS BEING CONSIDERED. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2002ROME05961 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL