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 NNNN 2003ROME03426 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL