58TH UNGA--GOI RESPONSE TO U.S. PRIORITIES, PART

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003426

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2013
TAGS: AORC PREL PHUM IT UNGA UN
SUBJECT: 58TH UNGA--GOI RESPONSE TO U.S. PRIORITIES, PART
II.

REF: A) STATE 206381 B) ROME 2875

CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLMC GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) & (D)


1. ON JULY 23 POLOFF DELIVERED REF A POINTS TO ALESSANDRO
BUSACCA, MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR MULTILATERAL AFFAIRS.
BUSACCA CAREFULLY REVIEWED THIS SECOND SET OF U.S. PRIORITIES
FOR THE 58TH UNGA (RESPONSE TO PART I CONTAINED IN REF B),
AND UNDERTOOK TO SHARE THEM BROADLY WITHIN THE GOI. BUSACCA
ADDED THAT THE EU'S 58TH UNGA PRIORITIES WOULD BE AVAILABLE
SHORTLY.


2. ON THE ICC, BUSACCA NOTED THAT, WHILE IN THE EU
PRESIDENCY, ITALY MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WIDELY VARYING
MEMBER STATE OPINIONS WHILE STRIVING FOR CONSENSUS. MANY EU
COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ITALY, STRONGLY SUPPORT THE ICC. POLOFF
SUGGESTED THAT EXPERT-LEVEL DISCUSSIONS COULD ASSIST THE U.S.
AND THE EU IN REACHING A SOLUTION ALLOWING THE EU TO STATE
ITS POSITION ON THE ICC WHILE NOT BLOCKING CONSENSUS ON
RESOLUTIONS THAT BOTH SIDES SUPPORT. BUSACCA DEMURRED ON
SPECIFICS, BUT AGREED ON THE NEED TO MINIMIZE CONFLICT OVER
THE ICC AT THE UNGA AND SAID THAT ITALY WILL WORK TOWARDS
THAT END.


3. TURNING TO EU VIEWS ON RESOLUTIONS REGARDING THE
ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, BUSACCA SAID ITALY IS WORKING TO
MODERATE THE LANGUAGE OF SUCH RESOLUTIONS AND TO ADD POINTS
RECOGNIZING RECENT POSITIVE STEPS. HE CITED ONGOING ECOSOC
NEGOTIATIONS, STATING THAT ITALY WAS PLAYING AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN DRAFTING A MORE BALANCED ANNUAL RESOLUTION ON
ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF ISRAEL'S PRESENCE IN THE OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES. BUSACCA ALSO EXPRESSED ITALY'S AGREEMENT THAT
DISCUSSION OF IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN UP ON THE UNGA, BUT
REMAIN IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL.
SEMBLER


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2003ROME03426 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL