GOI OFFICIALS LOBBIED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN MIDDLE

UNCLAS ROME 003571

SIPDIS


FOR NEA/RA LAWSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL TSPL IT UN
SUBJECT: GOI OFFICIALS LOBBIED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN MIDDLE
EAST DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER (MEDRC)


1. (U) SUMMARY. ON JULY 17, DR. CHARLES LAWSON (SPECIAL
ADVISOR FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, BUREAU OF NEAR EASTERN
AFFAIRS),ACCOMPANIED BY EMB OFFS, MET WITH LUCA FRATINI,
DEPUTY OFFICE DIRECTOR IN THE MFA'S MIDDLE EAST BUREAU,
AMBASSADOR MARIO SICA (FORMER ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO EGYPT),
AND MINISTER EUGENIO CAMPO (DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR
COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT). THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS
TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE ITALIAN MEMBERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST
DESALINATION RESEARCH CENTER (MEDRC). ITALY IS INTERESTED BUT
IS NOT ABLE TO MAKE A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT AT THIS TIME.
SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDRC OBJECTIVES
COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) LAWSON, A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF MEDRC,
MET WITH MFA REPRESENTATIVES TOGETHER WITH THE MEDRC'S
DIRECTOR, KOUSSAI QUTEISHAT, AND MEDRC'S DIRECTOR OF
DEVELOPMENT, SHANNON MCCARTHY, TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF
ITALY'S JOINING MEDRC AS A FULL MEMBER BECAUSE OF STRONG
ITALIAN INTEREST IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE PEACE PROCESS.
MEDRC IS A RESEARCH INSTITUTE WHOSE MISSION IS TO CONDUCT,
FACILITATE, PROMOTE, COORDINATE, AND SUPPORT BASIC AND
APPLIED RESEARCH IN WATER DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY AND
SUPPORTING FIELDS. ACCORDING TO LAWSON, MEMBER STATES HAVE
EACH HISTORICALLY CONTRIBUTED ONE-TIME AMOUNTS OF $3 MILLION
TO THE CENTER SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1993. CURRENT
MEMBERS INCLUDE THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA, THE SULTANATE OF OMAN, AND ISRAEL. THE EUROPEAN
COMMISSION HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO THE CENTER, BUT
REMAINS AN OBSERVER, NOT A FULL MEMBER. LAWSON EMPHASIZED
THAT PROJECTS, WHICH INVOLVE BOTH ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS,
ARE AN IMPORTANT STEP IN CONTINUING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO
PARTIES, AND DESALINATION RESEARCH HAS BEEN A VALUABLE
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION.


3. (U) GOI REPRESENTATIVES FOCUSED ON TWO ASPECTS OF THE
DISCUSSION: ACTUAL ITALIAN MEMBERSHIP IN MEDRC, AND FINANCING
ITALY'S MEMBERSHIP. THE ITALIANS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE
WORK OF MEDRC, BUT ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL
COMMITMENT NECESSARY FOR MEMBERSHIP. AS THE MFA HAS
UNDERGONE SERIOUS BUDGET RESTRICTIONS RECENTLY, AND ITALY HAS
BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO RECONSTRUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ,
AFRICA AND THE BALKANS, THE FUNDS ARE JUST NOT AVAILABLE FOR
MEMBERSHIP IN THE SHORT TERM. HOWEVER, MFA OFFICIALS SAID
THEY WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF MEMBERSHIP
IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE PEACE PROCESS
ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GOI. THE DG FOR COOPERATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT (C&D) WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT FUNDING MEMBERSHIP
IN MEDRC BECAUSE THE DG HAS A SPECIFIC LIST OF TARGET
COUNTRIES TO WHICH FUNDS CAN BE ALLOCATED, AND SOME MEMBERS
OF MEDRC DO NOT MEET THOSE CRITERIA. LAWSON HAD MET WITH
COUNSELOR GIORGIO TRABATTONI FROM THE DG C&D THE PREVIOUS
DAY, WHO EXPRESSED SIMILAR FINANCIAL CONCERNS. TRABATTONI
INDICATED THAT MEDRC MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE OF POTENTIAL
INTEREST TO ITALY. WHILE THE QUESTION OF FULL MEMBERSHIP IS
BEING DISCUSSED, HOWEVER, DG C&D ENCOURAGED MEDRC TO PASS
ALONG SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN COUNTRIES WHICH DG C & D COULD
POTENTIALLY FUND, ESPECIALLY TRAINING PROGRAMS WHICH COULD BE
OFFERED IN ITALY.


4. (U) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING, AMBASSADOR SICA
PROMISED TO REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE MIDDLE
EAST, AMB. SESSA, ABOUT THEIR DISCUSSIONS AND THE CONDITIONS
UNDER WHICH ITALY COULD BECOME A MEMBER OF MEDRC.


5. (U) THIS CABLE WAS PREPARED BY ROME SCI INTERN LISA
GEORGE.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME03571 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED