ESDP MINI SUMMIT - FRATTINI WILL COME OUT SWINGING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001834

SIPDIS


STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2013
TAGS: PREL IT NATO ESDP
SUBJECT: ESDP MINI SUMMIT - FRATTINI WILL COME OUT SWINGING
AT GYMNICH

REF: A) STATE 109725 B) ROME 1776

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)(
D).


1. (C) SANDRO DE BERNADIN, ESDP DIRECTOR IN THE MFA EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION BUREAU, TOLD POLOFF THAT THE GOI WAS AS SURPRISED
AS THE USG WITH THE CONTENT OF THE BELGIAN MINI-SUMMIT
COMMUNIQUE. HE REITERATED STRONG GOI POSITION OUTLINED REF
B: THE GOI WILL NOT SUPPORT ANY INITIATIVE THAT WILL
UNDERMINE OR DUPLICATE THE NATO. DE BERNADIN SAID THAT MFA
FRATTINI WOULD MAKE CLEAR TO HIS COUNTERPARTS AT THE GYMNICH
IN RHODES THAT THE BELGIAN SUMMIT DOCUMENT IS UNACCEPTABLE;
HE WILL ADVISE ALL THAT WILL LISTEN AGAINST ACCEPTING ITS
PROPOSALS, AND WILL ENCOURAGE ALL EU MEMBERS TO BRING THE
DISCUSSION OF CFSP AND ESDP "BACK TO 15."


2. (C) DE BERNADIN SAID HE HAD BEEN IN A MEETING WITH
FRATTINI JUST PRIOR TO HIS CONVERSATION WITH POLOFF.
FRATTINI WAS "VERY UPSET AND SURPRISED" ABOUT THE LANGUAGE IN
THE DECLARATION, BUT HOPED THAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE A
"CATALYST, OR SHOCK" TO ENCOURAGE MOVEMENT ON ESDP.
FRATTINI'S NIGHTMARE SCENARIO, SAID DE BERNADIN, WAS A
"MINI-ALLIANCE OF FOUR," COMPETING FOR RESOURCES AND
PERSONNEL NOT ONLY WITH NATO, BUT WITH ESDP ITSELF. FRATTINI
WOULD DO ALL HE COULD AT THE MAY 2 GYMNICH AND IN THE RUN-UP
TO THE THESSALONIKI SUMMIT TO MOVE THE OTHER FMS AWAY FROM
SUCH A SCENARIO.


3. (C) FRATTINI'S DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF, PASQUALE TERRACIANO,
CONVEYED THE SAME MESSAGE TO POL MC. FRATTINI WAS READY TO
DEPLOY THE SAME ARGUMENTS HE DID REF B IN ORDER TO PREVENT
THE GANG OF FOUR FROM ADVANCING THEIR INITIATIVE. POL MC
ASKED IF THE FM WOULD REPEAT HIS OFFER TO ORGANIZE A
COUNTER-CONFERENCE OF ITALY, SPAIN AND THE UK. PROBABLY NOT,
ANSWERED TERRACCIANO BUT HE WOULD NOT HESITATE TO SPEAK OUT
PUBLICLY AS WELL AS IN THE CLOSED GYMNICH SESSION.


4. (C) COMMENT: THE MINI-SUMMIT DOCUMENT IS A BLOW NOT
ONLY TO ITALY'S VIEWS ON THE PRIMACY OF NATO AND BERLIN-PLUS
IN TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY, BUT ALSO TO THE GOI'S HOPES FOR A
SUCCESSFUL, POSITIVE EU PRESIDENCY. FIRST, THE WAR IN IRAQ
SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZED CHANCES FOR COMPLETING THE CONVENTION
AND INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE IN TIME FOR A SECOND
"TREATY OF ROME" DURING THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY. NOW, THERE
IS A GOOD CHANCE THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY WILL HAVE TO EXPEND
CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL CAPITAL IN KEEPING THE UNION FROM
DRIFTING FURTHER APART OVER THIS ISSUE, RATHER THAN FOCUSING
ON PM BERLUSCONI'S GOAL OF CLOSING THE TRANSATLANTIC RIFT.
WE EXPECT THEREFORE THAT FRATTINI AND BERLUSCONI WILL WORK
HARD BETWEEN NOW AND JULY 1 TO MOVE THE EU SECURITY DIALOGUE
BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME01834 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL