ITALY FLAGS DISCUSSION POINTS FOR PSI BRISBANE

S E C R E T ROME 003045 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2013 TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP IT EUN SUBJECT: ITALY FLAGS DISCUSSION POINTS FOR PSI BRISBANE MEETINGS REF: A. A) STATE 189947 ¶B. B) 02 ROME 6158 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASO NS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (S) POST CONVEYED REFTEL LETTER TO PAOLO CUCULI IN THE MFA DISARMAMENT OFFICE ON JULY 2. CUCULI WILL ACCOMPANY FILIPPO FORMICA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DISARMAMENT OFFICE, TO THE JULY 9-10 MEETINGS IN AUSTRALIA AND IS INVOLVED IN PREPARING ITALY'S CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE (PSI). (NOTE: FORMICA IS OUT OF ROME UNTIL JULY ¶4. AMB. ARAGONA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE BRISBANE MEETING BECAUSE OF EU PRESIDENCY-RELATED DUTIES IN ROME. FORMICA AND THE REST OF ITALY'S DELEGATION WILL DEPART FOR AUSTRALIA ON JULY 7. END NOTE.) ¶2. (S) CUCULI FLAGGED THREE POINTS IN PARTICULAR THAT HE SAID WERE DISCUSSED DURING A GOI INTERAGENCY MEETING TO REVIEW THE RULES OF THE ROAD. HE EXPECTS THESE ISSUES WILL ALSO BE RAISED IN BRISBANE. FIRST, ANY MEASURES WILL NEED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH EU COMMON REGULATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE EC ALREADY HAS AN EXCLUSIVE LEGISLATIVE COMPETENCE (TRANSPORT, FOREIGN TRADE). SECOND, BLACKLISTING COUNTRIES AND NON-STATE PROLIFERATORS RATHER THAN TYPES OF ILLICIT BEHAVIOR MAY RUN CONTRARY TO ITALIAN AND EU LEGISLATION. LISTS OF COUNTRIES SANCTIONED BY A UN OR EU EMBARGO CURRENTLY ARE THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS. ¶3. (S) THE THIRD POINT RELATES TO A DRAFT TECHNICAL AGREEMENT THE GOI PROPOSED IN 2002 (REFTEL B) IN RESPONSE TO THE USG'S OVERTURES FOR INCREASED COOPERATION ON MARITIME INTERCEPT OPERATIONS (MIOS). THE BILATERAL AGREEMENT WOULD CREATE A RECIPROCAL INFORMATION-EXCHANGE MECHANISM AND WOULD STREAMLINE THE PROCEDURE FOR BOARDING SHIPS FLYING THE OTHER COUNTRY'S FLAG IN NON-TERRITORIAL WATERS. (TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT WAS FAXED TO EUR/WE ON 12/30/02). THE GOI CRAFTED THE AGREEMENT AS A MEANS OF ADDRESSING THE SOVEREIGNTY CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED IN ALLOWING NON-ITALIAN SHIPS TO STOP, SEARCH AND SEIZE ITALIAN VESSELS. ITALY NOW IS SUGGESTING THAT PSI COUNTRIES MAY WISH TO CONSIDER SOMETHING SIMILAR AMONG LIKE-MINDED STATES AS A WAY TO STRENGTHEN INTERDICTION COOPERATION. ¶4. (S) A READ-OUT WE RECEIVED OF THE GOI INTERAGENCY MEETING NOTED THAT ITALIAN LAW PERMITS ITALIAN MILITARY, POLICE AND SECURITY FORCES TO INTERDICT ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING IN WMD AND RELATED MATERIALS THAT OCCURS WITHIN ITALIAN TERRITORY, TERRITORIAL WATERS AND NATIONAL AIRSPACE, REGARDLESS OF THE FLAG OF THE SUSPECTED VESSEL OR AIRCRAFT. THE ITALIAN NAVY ALSO IS AUTHORIZED TO STOP, SEARCH AND SEIZE SUSPECTED ITALIAN VESSELS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS. IN ADDITION TO THE DRAFT TECHNICAL AGREEMENT DISCUSSED ABOVE, CUCULI SAID THE GOI IS STUDYING OTHER OPTIONS FOR BOARDINGS OF ITALIAN VESSELS BY PSI PARTNER COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS BOARDINGS OF NON-ITALIAN VESSELS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS BY ITALIAN AND OTHER PSI PARTNER COUNTRIES. FORMICA AND HIS DELEGATION WILL BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS THESE ISSUES AT THE BRISBANE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK. ¶5. (S) POST DELIVERED USG INPUT FOR BRISBANE MEETING RECEIVED BY E-MAIL ON JUNE 3 TO CUCULI. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME03045 - Classification: SECRET