EU/BURMA: ITALIAN REACTION TO U.S. PROPOSALS;ICG

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003215

SIPDIS


C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDED REF C)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2013
TAGS: PREL PHUM AORC BM IT EUN
SUBJECT: EU/BURMA: ITALIAN REACTION TO U.S. PROPOSALS;ICG
BRIEFING ATTENDANCE

REF: A) STATE 200487 B) STATE 200930 C) ROME 2585

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MC TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) & (D)


1. (C) POLOFF DISCUSSED REFTELS A AND B WITH MARCO DELLA
SETA, THE ITALIAN MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR COVERING BURMA. HE WAS
INTERESTED IN UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR BURMA RAZALI'S BRIEFING TO
THE INFORMAL CONSULTATIVE GROUP (ICG) ON BURMA BUT IS UNABLE
TO ATTEND ON SHORT NOTICE. HE INDICATED THE ITALIAN PERMREP
WOULD BE PRESENT AT THE ICG JULY 14 TO DEMONSTRATE THE GOI'S
CONCERN. HAVING MADE TWO BRUSSELS TRIPS DURING JULY 7-11 TO
DISCUSS BURMA, DELLA SETA MENTIONED THE COMMON POSITION HAD
NOT CHANGED AND THE EU WAS UNABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON
ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS, HAVING SEEN LITTLE RESPONSE FROM THE
CURRENT, RECENTLY STRENGTHENED SANCTIONS REGIME.


2. (C) DISCUSSING THE VARIOUS POLICY OPTIONS SUGGESTED IN
REF A, SETA MADE CLEAR HE DID NOT THINK ANY OF THEM, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF AN IMPORT BAN, WOULD EITHER BE LEGAL UNDER
ITALIAN LAW OR WOULD ACHIEVE AN EU, OR GOI, CONSENSUS. THE
GOI WOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER A STRONG TRAVEL WARNING, BUT
ACCORDING TO DELLA SETA IS PROHIBITED FROM RESTRICTING THE
TRAVEL OF ITS CITIZENS EXCEPT DURING WARTIME. IN GENERAL,
ITALY REMAINS RELUCTANT TO USE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS UNLESS THEY
CAN BE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO AVOID THE GENERAL POPULATION.
REF C ADDRESSES PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS ON INTERNAL EU DYNAMICS
RELATED TO BURMA SANCTIONS. AS THE EU ONLY RECENTLY
STRENGTHENED THEIR SANCTIONS, DELLA SETA BELIEVES ADDITIONAL
MEASURES UNLIKELY WITHOUT A PRECIPITATING EVENT. THE
CONTINUED DETENTION OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS APPARENTLY NOT
SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT NEW SANCTIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE
REGIME TO REACT TO THE EU'S MEASURES DISCOURAGES NEW, AND
FROM AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE, LARGELY SYMBOLIC, MEASURES.


3. (C) DELLA SETA AGREED AN IMPORT BAN MIGHT BE POSSIBLE
UNDER EU AND ITALIAN LAW, ALTHOUGH AS HE REPEATEDLY STRESSED
HE IS NEITHER A LEGAL NOR A UN EXPERT. HE WAS EAGER TO
DISCUSS RAZALI, A "LAME DUCK" WHOM HE FEELS WILL NONETHELESS
CONTINUE TO ENJOY ASIAN SUPPORT DUE TO "SOLIDARITY." DELLA
SETA MENTIONED HE HAD HEARD RUMORS THAT RAZALI WAS INVOLVED
IN BUSINESS DEALINGS WITH THE BURMESE REGIME AND WAS PERHAPS
NO LONGER AN HONEST BROKER. DELLA SETA ALSO WAS DOUBTFUL
CHINA COULD BE INDUCED TO SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE ITS POLICIES
TOWARDS BURMA, AS THEY ARE VERY MUCH IN ITS STRATEGIC AND
ECONOMIC INTERESTS. WHILE HE WELCOMES ADDITIONAL UN
INVOLVEMENT, HE WAS ALSO UNCLEAR HOW BURMA'S DETENTION OF AUN
SAN SUU KYI COULD BECOME AN ISSUE FOR THE UNSC, ALTHOUGH HE
BELIEVES THE GOI AND THE EU WOULD SUPPORT INCREASING
MULTILATERAL PRESSURE IF POSSIBLE.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME03215 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL