GOI PRE-GAERC VIEWS ON IRAQ, DPRK, BALKANS, ESDP,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000289 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2013 TAGS: PREL EU EU IT ITPREL SUBJECT: GOI PRE-GAERC VIEWS ON IRAQ, DPRK, BALKANS, ESDP, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00289 01 OF 02 241501Z ZIMBABWE REF: A) STATE 18030 B) STATE 20813 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1. 5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: ON JANUARY 23 AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY POL MC COUNTRYMAN, DELIVERED POINTS REF A TO MFA SYG GIUSEPPE BALDOCCI AND COORDINATOR FOR EU SECURITY SANDRO DE BERNADIN. HE ALSO PROVIDED THE POINTS IN A NON-PAPER. BALDOCCI SAID THAT MFA FRATTINI WAS "VERY PLEASED, VERY SATISFIED" WITH THE "PRODUCTIVE, OPEN DIALOGUE" DURING HIS JANUARY 21 MEETING IN WASHINGTON WITH SECRETARY POWELL. BALDOCCI HOPED THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF FREQUENT "DIRECT CONTACT" BETWEEN THE MINISTERS. BALDOCCI STRESSED THAT THE GOI, EU, AND USG HAD THE SAME GOALS ON ALL REF A ISSUES, THOUGH THERE WERE SLIGHT DISCREPANCIES ON THE MEANS BY WHICH THE GOALS WOULD BE REALIZED. HE AGREED THAT THE PRESSURE MUST BE KEPT ON BAGHDAD, AND PROMISED THAT THE GOI WOULD WORK FOR A STRONG, UNIFIED STATEMENT FROM THE GAERC. THE EU WAS ALSO READY TO BE HELPFUL IN ANY DIALOGUE WITH THE NORTH KOREANS. THE GREEK AND ITALIAN PRESIDENCIES WOULD TRY TO "REFOCUS" EU ATTENTION ON THE BALKANS, AND THE GOI WOULD LIKELY PLAY A MAJOR PART IN ANY ESDP DEPLOYMENT TO MACEDONIA. THE GOI BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IN THE EU TO MAINTAIN SANCTIONS AGAINST ZIMBABWE. END SUMMARY -------------- IRAQ -------------- CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 00289 01 OF 02 241501Z ¶2. (C) BALDOCCI AGREED THAT IRAQ WAS NOT JUST AN AMERICAN OR TRANSATLANTIC ISSUE, BUT AN INTERNATIONAL THREAT OF GREAT SERIOUSNESS. HE INSISTED THAT THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES (INCLUDING GERMANY AND FRANCE) UNDERSTAND THIS, AND AGREE THAT THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO DISARM SADDAM, EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT POLICY. ¶3. (C) BALDOCCI EMPHASIZED THAT THERE SHOULD BE "NO MESSAGE OF DIVISION" IN THE GAERC STATEMENT. IT MUST STRESS "UNITY AND PRESSURE." THE GOI WOULD DO WHAT IT COULD TO UNIFY THE ¶15. COUNTRYMAN CAUTIONED BALDOCCI THAT UNITY OFTEN MEANT A "LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR" STATEMENT, WHICH IN THIS CASE COULD MEAN A CALL FOR ANOTHER UNSC RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAQ. A WEAK STATEMENT COULD ALSO BE INTERPRETED IN BAGHDAD AS IC ACQUIESCENCE TOWARDS ADDITIONAL MONTHS, OR YEARS, OF CONTINUED IRAQI STALLING ON COMPLIANCE WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS TO DISARM. BALDOCCI SAID THAT HE WOULD CONVEY TO FRATTINI USG VIEWS THAT WE MUST SPEAK WITH ONE CLEAR, STRONG VOICE, AND KEEP THE PRESSURE ON SADDAM. (SEPTEL WILL REPORT ON JAN. 24 DEMARCHE REQUESTED IN REF B). -------------- NORTH KOREA -------------- ¶4. (C) BALDOCCI SAID THAT THE GOI CONCURRED WITH U.S. POLICY AS PRESENTED IN REF A. FRATTINI WOULD BE MEETING WITH CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER TANG JIAXUAN ON JANUARY 24 IN ROME, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 ROME 00289 01 OF 02 241501Z AND NORTH KOREA WILL BE ON THE AGENDA. WE NEED A COMMITMENT FORM NORTH KOREA TO COMPLY WITH ITS COMMITMENTS UNDER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, CONTINUED DE BERNADIN. HE NOTED THAT THE GREEK EU PRESIDENCY SHARED OUR APPROACH TOWARDS DPRK, AND AGREED ON THE NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON PYONGYANG. THE EU WAS READY TO BE HELPFUL IN ANY DIALOGUE WITH THE NORTH KOREANS, AND WAS NOW CONSIDERING DEPLOYMENT OF A MISSION TO PYONGYANG. THE ISSUE WILL COME UNDER DISCUSSION AT THE EU TROIKA-RUSSIA MEETING ON JANUARY 24. -------------- BALKANS -------------- ¶5. (C) DE BERNADIN SAID THAT THE EU CONCURS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ICTY COOPERATION FOR GOVERNMENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE GREEK AND ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCIES WOULD TRY TO "REFOCUS" ATTENTION ON THE BALKANS NOW THAT "ENLARGEMENT EAST WAS IN ITS FINAL STAGES". USG OFFERS TO COOPERATE ON BALKANS ISSUES, PARTICULARLY ON ORGANIZED CRIME, WERE "MUSIC TO OUR EARS," SAID BALDOCCI. -------------- CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ1030 PAGE 01 ROME 00289 02 OF 02 241501Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EAP-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 OMB-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 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /006W -------------- 2B0C70 241501Z /38 O 241430Z JAN 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7809 INFO EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY NSC WASHDC PRIORITY CIA WASHDC PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000289 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2013 TAGS: PREL EU EU IT ITPREL SUBJECT: GOI PRE-GAERC VIEWS ON IRAQ, DPRK, BALKANS, ESDP, CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00289 02 OF 02 241501Z ZIMBABWE ESDP -------------- ¶6. (C) THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, SAID DE BERNADIN, BUT ONLY A FEW ISSUES REMAINED TO BE IRONED OUT ON BERLIN PLUS, THEN THE EU WOULD BE READY TO DEPLOY. HE HOPED THAT DISCUSSIONS COULD BE COMPLETED AS EARLY AS THE END OF FEBRUARY. MACEDONIA'S REQUEST FOR AN ESDP POST-TASK FORCE FOX MILITARY DEPLOYMENT SHOULD ACT AS A CATALYST FOR THE PROCESS. INTERNAL GOI DISCUSSIONS ON THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION WERE STILL IN EARLY STAGES, BUT HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT ITALY WOULD BE WILLING TO "PLAY A MAJOR ROLE." -------------- ZIMBABWE -------------- ¶7. (C) DE BERNADIN THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IN THE EU TO MAINTAIN SANCTIONS. THE ONLY COMPLICATING FACTOR WAS THE JULY EU-AFRICA SUMMIT IN LISBON. HE HOPED THAT OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES WOULD NOT BOYCOTT THE SUMMIT IF MUGABE WAS DENIED A VISA. POL MC NOTED THAT IT WOULD BE THE AFRICANS, NOT THE EU, WHO WOULD LOSE MORE FROM A BOYCOTT. IF THE EU WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE SERIOUSNESS ABOUT ZIMBABWE, IT SHOULD BE PREPARED TO STAND FIRM ON THIS POINT. (POL MC HAD EARLIER RAISED THE ZIMBABWE POINTS WITH MFA DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR AFRICA BRUNO CABRAS, WHO SAID HE EXPECTED THE SANCTIONS TO BE RENEWED, THOUGH WITH SOME CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 ROME 00289 02 OF 02 241501Z MODIFICATIONS (NFI). SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME00289 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL