PUTIN TELLS BERLUSCONI ALL COOPERATION ON BUSHEHR

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003483 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2013 TAGS: IT MARR PREL RS EUN SUBJECT: PUTIN TELLS BERLUSCONI ALL COOPERATION ON BUSHEHR HALTED CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLMINCOUNS GARY ROBBINS. REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: DURING THEIR JULY 29 MEETING IN MOSCOW, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN TOLD PM BERLUSCONI THAT RUSSIAN COOPERATION WITH IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE NUCLEAR FACILITY AT BUSHEHR, HAD CEASED. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED CLOSER EU-RUSSIAN RELATIONS, PREPARATIONS FOR PUTIN'S NOVEMBER 6 VISIT TO ROME AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT'S VIEW THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION WITHOUT WAITING FOR A UNSC RESOLUTION. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) BERLUSCONI'S DEPUTY DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR, GIANPAOLO SCARANTE, TOLD A/POLMINCOUNS AND POLOFF THAT DURING THEIR JULY 29 MEETING IN MOSCOW, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN TOLD PM BERLUSCONI THAT RUSSIAN COOPERATION WITH IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE NUCLEAR FACILITY AT BUSHEHR, HAD CEASED. RUSSIA HAS ALSO ASKED IRAN TO RETURN ALL NUCLEAR MATERIAL TO RUSSIA. PUTIN SAID THAT THE REASON WAS IRAN'S FAILURE TO SIGN THE IAEA ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL, AND THAT RUSSIA WOULD NOT CONSIDER REVIVING ITS COOPERATION UNTIL IRAN SIGNED. ¶3. (C) SCARANTE SAID THAT THE MEETING, THE FIFTH BETWEEN THE LEADERS SINCE BERLUSCONI BECAME PM, WAS QUICK (BERLUSCONI FLEW UP FOR LUNCH THEN IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO ROME),AND FOCUSED MAINLY ON THEIR DESIRE TO MOVE THE EU-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP FORWARD DURING THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY. THERE IS A LOT OF WORK AHEAD TO PREPARE THE NOVEMBER 6 EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT AND THE "CONCRETE AGREEMENTS" TO BE SIGNED IN ROME. BERLUSCONI AND PUTIN WANT TO MAKE THE NEW EU-RUSSIA PERMANENT PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL OPERATIONAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS SHOULD FOCUS ON THE ENERGY SECTOR, TRANSPORTATION, THE ECONOMY, AGRICULTURE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. ¶4. (C) BERLUSCONI WAS IMPRESSED WITH PUTIN'S "PRAGMATIC, NON-IDEOLOGICAL" APPROACH TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ'S RECONSTRUCTION. PUTIN'S VIEW IS THAT RUSSIAN COMPANIES HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH IRAQ, AND COULD MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO REBUILDING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE. PUTIN SAID THE RECONSTRUCTION COULD START NOW, WITHOUT WAITING FOR A NEW UN RESOLUTION. ¶5. (C) ACCORDING TO SCARANTE, PUTIN SAID THAT WHILE RUSSIA IS STILL PART OF THE MEPP "QUARTET" AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PEACE PROCESS, IT WILL ACT MORE AS A "SPECTATOR" DURING FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME03483 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL