GOI WANTS TO COORDINATE ON BURMA DURING EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002585

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: PREL PHUM IT BM EUN
SUBJECT: GOI WANTS TO COORDINATE ON BURMA DURING EU
PRESIDENCY


CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 B&D


1. (C) IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM MARCO DELLA SETA, MFA
OFFICE DIRECTOR COVERING BURMA, POL MC AND POLOFF PASSED A
SHORT HISTORY OF U.S. POLICY TOWARDS BURMA AND BRIEFLY
DISCUSSED U.S. REACTION TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S DETENTION.
DELLA SETA OFFERED A PRECIS OF EU AND ITALIAN POLICY TOWARDS
BURMA AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH THE
U.S. DURING ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY.


2. (C) ACCORDING TO DELLA SETA, IN THE LAST YEARS' INTERNAL
EU DEBATE, THE U.K. AND FRANCE, AMONG OTHER NORTHERN-TIER EU
COUNTRIES, SUPPORTED HARDER-HITTING SANCTIONS AGAINST THE
REGIME. GERMANY, AUSTRIA, PORTUGAL, AND ITALY SAW LESS VALUE
IN SANCTIONS; CONSIDERING THAT ASIAN COUNTRIES AND AUSTRALIA
HAVE NOT IMPOSED SANCTIONS, AN EU SANCTIONS REGIME IS
INEFFECTIVE. EARLIER THIS YEAR THE EU COMPROMISED AND
DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF A STRICTER REGIME UNTIL OCTOBER.
THE DELAY ALLOWS FOR A ONE-TIME EU TROIKA (CURRENT EU
PRESIDENT, FUTURE EU PRESIDENT, AND CFSP HIGH REP) TO VISIT
RANGOON IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE THE GOB TO EASE
RESTRICTIONS ON THE OPPOSITION.


3. (C) DELLA SETA SAID THAT THE GOI DOES NOT HAVE HIGH
EXPECTATIONS FOR THE TRIP, DELAYED (BUT NOT CANCELED) BY THE
ATTACK ON ASSK AND HER SUPPORTERS FRIDAY MAY 30. THE EU
DELIVERED A DEMARCHE ON JUNE 9, AND PLANS TO ISSUE A JOINT
DECLARATION IN THE COMING WEEKS. DELLA SETA ALSO SAID THERE
IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THE EU WILL IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT THE
STRONGER SANCTIONS PLANNED FOR OCTOBER. HE NOTED THAT THE
ITALIAN MFA BELIEVES THE GOB IS NOT RESPONSIVE TO THE
CONCERNS OF THE EU. THE REAL PLAYERS ARE CHINA, INDIA,
PAKISTAN, AND THE U.S. THE GOI WOULD LIKE TO SEE ASEAN
INCREASE ITS PRESSURE ON THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT, BUT
RECOGNIZES THE CULTURAL RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF ASEAN
NATIONS TO "MEDDLE" IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF PARTNER
COUNTRIES. DELLA SETA POINTED OUT A JOINT DECLARATION BY
MALAYSIAN PM MAHATHIR AND JAPANESE PM KOIZUMI, WHICH HE SAID
WAS CRITICAL OF THE GOB'S ACTIONS, AS A POSSIBLE POSITIVE
STEP. DELLA SETA SAID HE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH THE ITALIAN
EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON TO INSTRUCT THEM TO COORDINATE CLOSELY
WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT.


4. (C) COMMENT: DELLA SETA'S BRIEF DISCOURSE ON THE HISTORY
OF EU-BURMA SANCTIONS WAS INTERESTING. HOWEVER, AS HE SAID,
ITALY HAS NO CONCRETE INTERESTS (ECONOMIC OR POST-COLONIAL)
IN BURMA AS DOES FRANCE. AS THE INCOMING EU PRESIDENT, THE
GOI IS INTERESTED IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE U.S. TO
MAXIMIZE PRESSURE ON THE GOB AND LEVERAGE THE EU'S ADMITTEDLY
SMALL INFLUENCE. END COMMENT.
SKODON

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2003ROME02585 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL