EU PRESIDENCY: FRATTINI ADVOCATING AN ACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003263 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2013 TAGS: EAID ECON PREL IZ IT EUN SUBJECT: EU PRESIDENCY: FRATTINI ADVOCATING AN ACTIVE COMMISSION ROLE IN THE "CORE GROUP" REF: A. STATE 196184 ¶B. STATE 203954 CLASSIFIED BY: A/ECMIN DAVID MULENEX FOR REASONS 1.5 B, D. ¶1. (C) IN A JULY 16 MEETING WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE MFA IRAQ TASK FORCE, LUIGI MACCOTTA, ECONOFF UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE THAT THE USG PLACES ON THE COMMISSION'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CORE GROUP, AND EU MEMBERS' COMPLIANCE WITH UNSCR 1483 (PER REFS A, B). MACCOTTA NOTED THAT THE FM WAS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING AN ACTIVE ROLE FOR THE EU IN THE "CORE GROUP" AND THAT THE FM WOULD DO SO IN THE UPCOMING GAERC. HE NOTED THAT THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL HAD ALREADY INCORPORATED UNSCR 1483 INTO ITS COMMON POSITION, BUT THAT THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY WAS EAGER TO SEE MEMBERS FULLY AND PROMPTLY COMPLY WITH PROVISIONS FOR IDENTIFYING, FREEZING, AND TRANSFERING IRAQI ASSETS. ¶2. (C) MACCOTTA NOTED THAT THE COMMISSION NEEDS THE BLESSING OF MEMBERS, SOME OF WHOM ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE DONOR PROCESS. FOR THAT REASON, HE SAID, THE EU WOULD LIKELY INSIST THAT A MULTILATERAL AGENCY OVERSEE DONOR CONTRIBUTIONS. ESTABLISHING A MULTILATERAL APPROACH, HOWEVER, SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS EXLUDING THE USE OF BILATERAL CHANNELS, HE SAID. HE NOTED THAT CONCERN WAS EXPRESSED BY JAPANESE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE CONFERENCE CALL. THE GOI IS ALSO KEEN TO USE BILATERAL DONATIONS TO COMPLEMENT ITS EXISTING COMMITMENTS IN IRAQ. HE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF POSSIBLE FUTURE GOI CONTRIBUTIONS TARGETED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF IRAQIS LIVING IN THE REGION WHERE ITALIAN TROOPS ARE STATIONED AS A MEANS OF CREATING A MORE POSITIVE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT THERE. ¶3. (U) MACCOTTA'S COMMENTS ECHOED PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION MADE JULY 14 BY FM FRATTINI, IN WHICH HE SAID THAT THE GOI HAS ADOPTED "AN APPROACH AIMED AT ENHANCING THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS, PRIMARILY THE UNITED NATIONS, NATO AND THE EUROPEAN UNION." "IT IS FUNDAMENTAL" HE ADDED, "FOR THE EU TO HELP CONSOLIDATE THE NEW PHASE THAT APPEARS TO BE STARTING, WORKING WITH THE UN AND LIAISING WITH NATO." SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME03263 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL