AMBASSADOR'S LUNCHEON WITH PRESIDENT CIAMPI

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000783

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2012
TAGS: IT PREL ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S LUNCHEON WITH PRESIDENT CIAMPI


CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR MEL SEMBLER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A PRIVATE LUNCHEON, ITALIAN PRESIDENT
CIAMPI EXPRESSED HIS DEEP CONCERN OVER A DETERIORATING
SITUATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS. HE MADE A
DETAILED ARGUMENT THAT ITALY CAN AND MUST BE BOTH PRO EUROPE
AND PRO US, WITH WHICH I AGREED. CIAMPI WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 00783 151349Z
TO VISIT WASHINGTON FOR A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH; I
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) ITALIAN PRESIDENT CARLO AZEGLIA CIAMPI INVITED ME TO A
PRIVATE LUNCHEON FEB 12. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, IT WAS THE FIRST
TIME HE HAS EXTENDED SUCH AN INVITATION TO ANY AMBASSADOR.
THE DCM AND ANTONIO PURI PURINI, THE PRESIDENT'S DIPLOMATIC
ADVISOR, ALSO ATTENDED, ALONG WITH PRESIDENCY SECRETARY
GENERAL GIFUNI.


3. (C) CIAMPI DESCRIBED ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE US AS
"FUNDAMENTAL". HOWEVER GOOD THE RELATIONS WITH THE US ARE,
ADDED CIAMPI, THEY MUST GO, IN LARGE PART, VIA THE EU. THIS
SAID, ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE EU AND WITH THE US ARE NOT
IN COMPETITION. I SAID THAT THE US UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE
OF A STRONG EUROPE AND SUPPORTED IT. DURING LAST WEEK'S
VISIT TO ROME, NATO AMB. NICK BURNS UNDERLINED HOW MUCH WE
APPRECIATED THE LEADERSHIP ITALY IS BRINGING TO NATO, AND THE
ACTIVE ROLE ITALY PLAYS IN THE BALKANS AND IN AFGHANISTAN.
ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE EU DO NOT THREATEN ITS TIES WITH
THE US.


4. (C) CIAMPI DWELT ON ITALY'S SPECIAL INTEREST IN ITS
IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS IN THE BALKANS, THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH
AFRICA. SOUND WESTERN INVESTMENT AND ASSISTANCE IN THOSE
REGIONS NOT ONLY REDUCES THE PRESSURE FOR EMIGRATION TO
EUROPE, BUT ALSO UNDERMINES THE INFLUENCE OF FUNDAMENTALISM.
HE NOTED THAT HE RECENTLY HAD TOLD BOTH KOSOVO LEADER RUGOVA
AND MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT DJUKANOVIC THAT ITALY OPPOSES
INDEPENDENCE FOR THOSE ENTITIES. A NEW CROP OF BALKAN
"MINI-STATES" IS IN NO ONE'S INTEREST; THEY WOULD BE
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 03 ROME 00783 151349Z
OFFSHOOTS OF THE "MALIGNANT SEED OF NATIONALISM."


5. (C) ON THE MIDDLE EAST, CIAMPI EXPRESSED HIS DEEP CONCERN
OVER THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN GENERAL AND SHARON'S
APPROACH IN PARTICULAR. I EMPHASIZED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH IS
DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION, AND THAT HE WOULD LIKE
THE EU AND THE US TO SPEAK WITH A SINGLE VOICE ON THE MIDDLE
EAST: THE VIOLENCE MUST STOP; AND THEN THE PEACE PROCESS CAN
RESTART. CIAMPI SAID THAT THE US IS THE ONLY POWER ABLE OF
BRINGING BOTH PARTIES TOGETHER, BUT ADMITTED THAT IT IS VERY
DIFFICULT TO DO SO UNDER THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE OF VIOLENCE.


6. (C) CIAMPI, NOW IN HIS THIRD YEAR AS PRESIDENT, SAID THAT
THE ONLY OFFICIAL VISIT HE HAD EVER MADE TO WASHINGTON WAS IN
SEPTEMBER 1993 WHEN HE WAS PRIME MINISTER. PURI PURINI SAID
THAT CIAMPI WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO AGREE ASAP ON A DATE FOR
A VISIT TO WASHINGTON, IDEALLY THIS FALL. I REPLIED THAT
SURELY IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A STATE VISIT, BUT AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WITH PRESIDENT
BUSH WOULD BE VALUABLE. CIAMPI SAID IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT
THAT IT BE A STATE VISIT, AS LONG AS HE COULD HAVE A
SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WITH THE PRESIDENT, AS THEY DID LAST
JULY IN ROME. HE ADDED THAT HE VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE
PRESIDENT'S "HUMANITY, COMPASSION, AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
APPROACH".


7. (C) COMMENT: CIAMPI REMAINS FAR AND AWAY THE MOST POPULAR
POLITICIAN IN ITALY (ACCORDING TO SOME POLLS, HE IS MORE
POPULAR THAN SUCH VENERABLE INSTITUTIONS AS THE CARABINIERI
AND THE CHURCH). HE IS RESPECTED NOT ONLY AS THE ARCHITECT
OF ITALY'S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE 1990S, BUT ALSO FOR
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 04 ROME 00783 151349Z
THE CRUCIAL ROLE HE PLAYS IN STABILIZING ITALY'S DOMESTIC AND
FOREIGN POLICIES. THAT THE HEAD OF STATE OF A MAJOR AND
STEADFAST NATO ALLY HAS NOT YET BEEN INVITED TO WASHINGTON IS
AN ANOMALY THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I STRONGLY SUPPORT A
VISIT TO WASHINGTON THIS FALL AS A RECOGNITION OF ITALY'S
STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE ROLE IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM, AND AS A
VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO ENGAGE WITH A KEY
OPINION SHAPER IN ITALY. END COMMENT.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

>
2002ROME00783 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL