GOI CONCURS WITH USG VIEW FOR JANUARY 29-30 PIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000321 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE AND EUR/WE, SARAJEVO FOR AMB. BOND, BRUSSELS PLEASE PASS TO RAFFI GREGORIAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2013 TAGS: PGOV PREL BK IT UN SUBJECT: GOI CONCURS WITH USG VIEW FOR JANUARY 29-30 PIC STEERING BOARD MEETING REF: STATE 22252 CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)( CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 ROME 00321 281602Z D). ¶1. (C) ON JANUARY 27, POLOFF DELIVERED POINTS REFTEL AS NON-PAPER TO FERNANDO GENTILINI, DIRECTOR OF MFA'S BALKANS ISSUES OFFICE. AFTER CONSULTING WITH A NUMBER OF MFA OFFICES AND SUPERIORS, HE INFORMED POLOFF THAT THE GOI WAS "IN LINE" WITH THE U.S. ON THE SUBSTANCE OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE JANUARY 29-30 PEACE IMPLEMENTATION COUNCIL (PIC) STEERING BOARD MEETING. ITALY ALSO AGREED THAT THE ISSUE OF STRENGTHENING THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT'S LEGAL AUTHORITIES FOR COMBATING TERRORISM SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE PIC MEETING AGENDA. ¶2. (C) GENTILINI SAID THE ONE AREA WHERE THE GOI AND USG MIGHT DIFFER, SLIGHTLY, WAS ON THE TIMING OF TRANSITIONING CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. FOR INSTANCE, THE GOI AGREES THAT THE REFUGEE AND RECONSTRUCTION TASK FORCE (RRTF) HANDOVER PLAN COULD BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 2003. HOWEVER, THE GOI WOULD LIKE THE PIC STEERING BOARD TO MONITOR CLOSELY AND REPORT ON LOCAL AUTHORITIES' PROGRESS IN THE RUN-UP TO HANDOVER. ¶3. (C) THE GOI ALSO CONCURS WITH REFTEL POINTS URGING THE OHR TO ACCELERATE PREPARATIONS FOR A SPECIAL WAR CRIMES CHAMBER WITHIN THE STATE COURT OF BIH. ONE GOI CONCERN IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR IC SUPPORT, (FUNDING, SECONDMENT OF PROSECUTORS AND LAWYERS) TO GET THE CHAMBER UP AND RUNNING. THE GOI MAY RAISE SUCH CONCERNS AT THE MEETING. SEMBLER CONFIDENTIAL > 2003ROME00321 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL