GOI PUSHES STRONGLY FOR EU ASSUMPTION OF ALLIED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001053

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2013
TAGS: EU MARR MK PREL NATO EUN
SUBJECT: GOI PUSHES STRONGLY FOR EU ASSUMPTION OF ALLIED
HARMONY

REF: ROME 931

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM E. SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)

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1. (C) SUMMARY. IN A MEETING BETWEEN DIRECTOR GENERAL
GIANCARLO ARAGONA AND THE DCM, ARAGONA QUESTIONED CONTINUED
DELAYS IN THE EU'S ASSUMPTION OF OPERATION ALLIED HARMONY
FROM NATO AND MINIMIZED THE WORK NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE
BERLIN PLUS PROCESS. DCM MADE CLEAR THE U.S. HAS NO
OBJECTION TO THE EU ROLE BUT REITERATED THE NEED TO FINISH
BERLIN PLUS BEFORE THE HANDOVER OCCURS. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) ON MARCH 11, THE DCM, POLMIN, AND POLOFF (NOTETAKER)
MET WITH DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MFA'S BUREAU FOR
MULTILATERAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, GIANCARLO
ARAGONA, TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF ISSUES. RETURNING TO THE
SAME TOPIC HIS DEPUTY RAISED IN A MEETING MARCH 5 (REF A),
ARAGONA ASKED THE DCM WHY THE US CONTINUED TO BLOCK THE
TRANSFER OF OPERATION ALLIED HARMONY IN MACEDONIA FROM NATO
TO THE EU. ACCORDING TO ARAGONA, ONLY INSIGNIFICANT
TECHNICAL DETAILS, MINUTIAE REALLY, REMAINED TO BE WORKED OUT
WITHIN THE BERLIN PLUS DISCUSSIONS. DCM INFORMED ARAGONA THE
U.S HAD NO OBJECTIONS IN PRINCIPLE TO TURNING OVER THE
OPERATION, AND IN FACT WANTED IT TO SUCCEED. HOWEVER, HE
NOTED A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN PERCEPTION ON THE ISSUE. THE
REMAINING BERLIN PLUS DETAILS WERE NOT, IN THE EYES OF
WASHINGTON, MINUTIAE, BUT RATHER CRITICAL TO TRANSPARENTLY
SETTING OUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EU AND NATO.


3. (C) ARAGONA WARNED AGAINST "PLAYING" TOO MUCH WITH NATO,
STATING THAT WITH THE EASTERN THREAT GONE THE ALLIANCE WAS
FRAGILE AND COULD EASILY SUFFER. AS A STEADFAST ALLY, HE
REQUESTED WE ASK WASHINGTON TO "COOL DOWN" AT NATO. IF IN
FACT THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS CONCLUSION OF BERLIN PLUS, THEN THE
USG SHOULD NOT HAVE CITED OTHER FACTORS AS OBSTACLES TO
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HANDING OVER THE MISSION. THE DG ADMITTED EU'S EMPHASIS ON
TAKING OVER BOSNIA HAD PERHAPS BEEN TOO RASH, AND STATED IT
COULD BE DECIDED LATER.


4. (C) ARAGONA AGREED TO OUR SUGGESTION THAT ALL PARTIES
SHOULD PRESS FOR CLOSURE OF RESIDUAL ISSUES TO COMPLETE
BERLIN PLUS. HE ALSO MENTIONED SOME UNHAPPINESS WITH NATO
MILITARY STAFF DOCUMENTS STATING THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OF
MACEDONIA WERE UNINTERESTED IN AN EU PRESENCE, QUESTIONING
THE STRENGTH OF THE EU, AND BELITTLING EUROPEAN MILITARY
PROWESS. SUCH STATEMENTS CAUSE BOTH EUROPEAN AND ITALIAN
UNEASE. HE FINISHED BY NOTING THAT PM BERLUSCONI WANTS TO
SEE ESDP APPLIED ON THE GROUND.


5. (C) DCM STATED THAT KEEPING NATO STRONG WAS A SHARED
INTEREST. THE NUB OF THE MACEDONIA PROBLEM WAS FINISHING THE
BERLIN PLUS PROCESS SO THE EU/NATO WORKING RELATIONSHIP IS
CLEAR, ACCEPTED, AND KNOWN TO THE PARTIES.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME01053 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL