ESDP MINI SUMMIT - GOI VIEWS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001776 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2013 TAGS: PREL EU IT NATO SUBJECT: ESDP MINI SUMMIT - GOI VIEWS REF: A) STATE 103884 B) ROME 1678 CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS M. COUNTRYMAN. REASON:1.5 (B)(D). ¶1. (C) WE DELIVERED POINTS REF A TO GIOVANNI BRAUZZI, HEAD OF THE MFA'S NATO AFFAIRS OFFICE, AND SANDRO DE BERNADIN, ESDP DIRECTOR IN THE MFA EUROPEAN INTEGRATION BUREAU. AS INDICATED REF B, THE OFFICIAL GOI VIEW, AS VOICED BY FM FRATTINI AT THE APRIL 14 GAC LUNCH, IS STRONGLY CRITICAL OF THE INITIATIVE, AND CONSISTENT WITH THE USG VIEW EXPRESSED REF A THAT IT RUNS THE RISK OF DUPLICATING EXISTING NATO CAPABILITIES. ¶2. (C) BRAUZZI SAID HE SHARED OUR PERSPECTIVE. ITALY IS INTERESTED IN REINFORCING ESDP BUT ONLY IN A WAY THAT COMPLEMENTS NATO. HE AGREED THAT EU COUNTRIES SHOULD BE LOOKING TO ADD TO, AND NOT DUPLICATE, EXISTING CAPABILITIES. BRAUZZI QUESTIONED WHY WE WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT REFERENCES TO NATO ARTICLE FIVE-LIKE COMMITMENTS OF "GENERAL SOLIDARITY" OR "MUTUAL ASSISTANCE WHEN LANGUAGE TO THIS EFFECT WAS CONTAINED IN THE WEU BRUSSELS PACT. POLOFF EMPHASIZED THAT SUCH A REFERENCE IN COMBINATION WITH A MOVE TO SET UP A SEPARATE HEADQUARTERS STRUCTURE AND DUPLICATE CAPABILITIES WOULD BE TROUBLESOME. BRAUZZI TOOK THE POINT. HE NOTED THAT WHILE IT WAS EASY FOR HIM, AS DIRECTOR OF THE NATO OFFICE, TO AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH OUR APPROACH TO THE MINI-SUMMIT, A DISCUSSION WITH MFA COLLEAGUES DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ESDP MIGHT RESULT IN A SLIGHTLY MORE NUANCED ANSWER. ¶3. (C) DE BERNADIN SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DRAFT COMMUNIQUE IN ITS CURRENT FORM, HE REASSURED POLOFF THAT IT WOULD NOT CONTAIN LANGUAGE CONTRADICTING OR UNDERCUTTING BERLIN-PLUS. FURTHER, ANY ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED DURING THE SUMMIT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED, UNANIMOUSLY, AT ¶15. FM FRATTINI'S VIEWS ON NON-DUPLICATION ARE WELL KNOWN, AND SUCH VIEWS ARE SHARED BY OTHER EU MINISTERS. WHILE NOT ADDRESSING THE HEADQUARTERS ISSUE DIRECTLY, HE SAID THAT IT WAS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THE SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE WOULD BE ANYTHING MORE THAN PROPOSALS TO ENHANCE EUROPEAN MILITARY CAPABILITIES. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01776 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL