ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001568 SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USTR, GENEVA FOR USTR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01568 01 OF 02 111626Z E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2013 TAGS: PREL PARM PHUM EU IT PARM PHUM EU IT ETRD ETRDPREL SUBJECT: ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS REF: A) STATE B) ROME 1168 CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)( D). ¶1. (U) WE DELIVERED POINTS REF A TO APPROPRIATE GOI OFFICES. RESPONSES FOLLOW BELOW. ESDP -------------- ¶2. (SBU) MFA BALKANS OFFICE DIRECTOR FERNANDO GENTILINI SAID THAT THE GOI CONCURS WITH THE USG VIEW THAT THE EU NEEDED TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF OPERATION CONCORDIA BEFORE FOCUSING ON A POSSIBLE EU-LED OPERATION TO REPLACE SFOR IN BOSNIA. ¶3. (SBU) CURRENT GOI MILITARY PARTICIPATION IN OPERATION CONCORDIA IS: 22 PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND IN MACEDONIA, 11 STAFF MEMBERS IN BRUSSELS AND 5 SUPPORT STAFF IN NAPLES. GENTILINI SAID THAT THE GOI HAD NO PLANS TO ADJUST THESE FIGURES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. CROATIA AND SERBIA -------------- ¶4. (SBU) GENTILINI WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE POINTS SUMMARIZING USG VIEWS ON CROATIAN AND SERBIAN INTEGRATION. HE WAS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01568 01 OF 02 111626Z PREPARING BRIEFING PAPERS FOR AN APRIL 11 TROIKA MEETING IN ZAGREB ON THE ZAGREB PROCESS/BALKAN INTEGRATION, AND SAID THAT THE POINTS WOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PREPARING GOI POSITIONS. ¶5. (SBU) GENTILINI REITERATED THAT ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THE GOI EU PRESIDENCY BEGINNING JULY 1 IS TO RE-FOCUS EU ATTENTION ON THE LONG-TERM ACCESSION PROCESS FOR THE BALKANS. STARTING WITH THE STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT (SAA),AND MOVING ON THROUGH FORMAL ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE NEGOTIATIONS, THE GOI BELIEVES THAT THE ACCESSION PROCESS IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ENCOURAGING ASPIRANT COUNTRIES TO REFORM ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES. ¶6. (SBU) PART OF THAT PROCESS, CONTINUED GENTILINI, WILL BE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MORE "ROBUST" COOPERATION WITH THE ICTY AND RETURNS OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS. HE SAID THAT THE GOI WOULD CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR PROGRESS IN THESE AND OTHER CONDITIONS HIGHLIGHTED IN REF A. AT THE APRIL 14 GAERC AND THROUGHOUT THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY. BELARUS VISA BAN -------------- ¶7. (SBU) ACCORDING TO FABIO CRISTIANI, HEAD OF THE MFA'S OSCE OFFICE, THE GOI IS PLEASED THAT THE USG MODIFIED ITS POSITION ON RESCINDING THE VISA BAN AND WANTS TO WORK WITH THE EU ON COORDINATED STATEMENTS EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN BELARUS. HE SAID THAT SUCH AN EU STATEMENT WAS ALREADY BEING DRAFTED IN BRUSSELS IN PREPARATION FOR THE GAERC, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE GOI WOULD CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 01568 01 OF 02 111626Z SUPPORT A STRONG RESOLUTION ALONG THOSE LINES IN THE UNCHR (AS REPORTED REF B). IRAN/NORTH KOREA/NON PROLIFERATION -------------- ¶8. (C) POST TOOK ADVANTAGE OF U/S BOLTON'S VISIT APRIL 9 TO REITERATE TO THE GOI THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING IRAN AND NORTH KOREA'S PURSUIT OF WMD. HIS GOI INTERLOCUTORS UNDERLINED THAT ITALY VIEWS THIS ISSUE VERY SERIOUSLY, AND WILL USE ITS EU PRESIDENCY TO PUSH FOR CLOSER US/EU COOPERATION ON ADDRESSING WMD CHALLENGES. THEY ALSO NOTED THE NEED FOR MORE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF RUSSIA (FOR IRAN AND NORTH KOREA) AND CHINA (FOR NORTH KOREA) IN THE PROCESS. ¶9. (C) WE ALSO PASSED REFTEL POINTS ON NK TO MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR OCEANIA, THE PACIFIC, AND ANTARCTICA, GUIDO MARTINI. HE PROMISED TO ASK THE EMBASSY IN SEOUL ABOUT THE EU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISIT AND GET BACK TO US WITH A MORE DETAILED RESPONSE. DDA AND COLOMBIA GSP. -------------- ¶10. (U) ECONOFF RAISED THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, AS WELL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0558 PAGE 01 ROME 01568 02 OF 02 111626Z ACTION STR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00 INL-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 EXIM-01 E-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NRRC-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OES-00 OIC-02 OMB-02 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 EPAE-00 SSD-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /011W -------------- 546ED0 111627Z /38 O 111626Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9233 USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE 3194 USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE INFO EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 001568 SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USTR, GENEVA FOR USTR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 01568 02 OF 02 111626Z E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2013 TAGS: PREL PARM PHUM EU IT PARM PHUM EU IT ETRD ETRDPREL SUBJECT: ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS AS COLOMBIA,S GRADUATION FROM THE EU,S GSP PROGRAM, WITH AMEDEO TETI, DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS, MINISTRY OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES (FOREIGN TRADE). TETI TOLD US THE GOI REMAINS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE UPCOMING CANCUN WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT TETI PREDICTED THAT FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE AGRICULTURAL PROPOSAL LIKELY WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL ADDRESSED BY MINISTERS AT CANCUN. THE GOI CONTINUES TO HOPE FOR RESOLUTION OF THE TRIPS/MEDICINE ISSUE BEFORE CANCUN, AND BELIEVES THAT U.S. MOVEMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SUCH A RESOLUTION. TETI SAID THE GOI IS LARGELY SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THE EU SERVICES PROPOSAL IS SHAPING UP, BUT SEVERAL ISSUES (NOTABLY THE IMMIGRATION COMPONENT OF MODE IV) ARE PROBLEMATIC FOR SEVERAL MEMBER STATES. HE DID NOT HAZARD A GUESS REGARDING A POSSIBLE SUBMISSION DATE FOR THE EU,S PROPOSAL. ¶11. (U) ON THE ISSUE OF COLOMBIA,S GRADUATION FROM THE EU,S GSP PROGRAM, TETI TOLD US THE GOI IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE SOLUTION THAT APPARENTLY WAS REACHED AT THE APRIL 9 COREPER MEETING. IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION, THE MFA,S MASSIMO GAIANI, OFFICE DIRECTOR IN THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION (WITH WHOM WE ALSO SHARED THE DDA AND COLOMBIA GSP POINTS) TOLD US THE AGREED SOLUTION AT COREPER WAS A GRADUAL GRADUATION, WITH 50 PERCENT OF THE BENEFITS TERMINATING IN NOVEMBER 2003, AND THE REMAINING BENEFITS ENDING SIX MONTHS AFTER THAT. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 01568 02 OF 02 111626Z CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME01568 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL