ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY TO CRITICIZE US SUSPENSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003006

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2013
TAGS: ABUD IT KSEP KTIA MARR PARM PREL MASS KICC EUN
SUBJECT: ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY TO CRITICIZE US SUSPENSION
OF MILITARY AID

REF: A. SECSTATE 188695

B. 02 ROME 5018

CLASSIFIED BY: DCM EMIL SKODON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) THERE HAS A STRONG NEGATIVE REACTION AMONG EU MEMBERS
TO OUR DECISION TO SUSPEND MILITARY AID TO 35 COUNTRIES THAT
HAVE NOT SIGNED ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS (REF A),AMBASSADOR
GIANCARLO ARAGONA, THE MFA POLITICAL DIRECTOR, TOLD DCM JULY

2. THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE EU PARLIAMENT, WHERE PM BERLUSCONI
AND FM FRATTINI ARE TO SPEAK JULY 2, IS "VERY HOT," ADDED
ARAGONA. FRATTINI, AS FM FOR THE PRESIDENCY STATE, WOULD BE
OBLIGATED TO CRITICIZE THE USG DECISION, ALTHOUGH ARAGONA
ASSURED US THAT FRATTINI WOULD KEEP THE CRITICISM AS MILD AS
POSSIBLE.


2. (C) ARAGONA SAID THAT ITALY WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK TO
PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM BECOMING A GREATER IRRITANT IN US-EU
RELATIONS. DESPITE THE GOOD START WE MADE IN BILATERAL
NEGOTIATIONS LAST FALL (REF B),IT WAS UNLIKELY ITALY COULD
SIGN AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT WITH THE US WHILE PRESIDENT OF
THE EU, SAID ARAGONA. DCM STRESSED THE NEED TO CONTINUE
WORKING TOWARD ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENTS, NOTING THAT THE DEPTH
OF CONCERN IN THE US WAS REFLECTED IN THE JULY 1 ANNOUNCEMENT
OF THE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED AID SUSPENSIONS.


3. (U) AS OF COB JULY 2, FRATTINI HAD NOT YET SPOKEN AT THE
EU PARLIAMENT.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME03006 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL