ITALY/EU - GOI REACTION TO USG GAERC POINTS

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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
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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
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SUPPORT A STRONG RESOLUTION ALONG THOSE LINES IN THE UNCHR
(AS REPORTED REF B).

IRAN/NORTH KOREA/NON PROLIFERATION
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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

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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
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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

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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.
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2003ROME01568 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL