Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME289
2003-01-24 14:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  PREL EU IT 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
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:
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

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IRAQ
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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,
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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.

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BALKANS
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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.

--------------

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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
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MODIFICATIONS (NFI).
SEMBLER

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2003ROME00289 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL