URGING HIGH LEVEL ITALIAN/EU PRESIDENCY ENGAGEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003700 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2013 TAGS: PREL PBTS EU IT MD OSCE SUBJECT: URGING HIGH LEVEL ITALIAN/EU PRESIDENCY ENGAGEMENT ON MOLDOVA REF: STATE 223920 CLASSIFIED BY: CDA EMIL M. SKODON. REASON: 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) ON AUGUST 14 THE ACTING (NORMALLY DEPUTY) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE MFA'S BUREAU FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, FRANCESCO BASCONE, TOLD CHARGE THAT ITALY SHARED USG CONCERNS (REFTEL) OVER THE SLOW PACE OF PROGRESS TO REMOVE RUSSIAN TROOPS AND ARMS FROM MOLDOVA AND TO REACH A FINAL POLITICAL SETTLEMENT TO END THE CONFLICT OVER TRANSNISTRIA. BASCONE SAID THAT THE ITALIAN EU PRESIDENCY SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF AN EU TROIKA VISIT TO THE REGION SOMETIME IN THE AUTUMN TO VERIFY ISTANBUL COMMITMENT COMPLIANCE AND ASSESS POSSIBILITIES TO INCREASE THE PACE OF WITHDRAWALS. GIVEN THE BUSY EU SCHEDULE IN SEPTEMBER HE COULD NOT PROMISE A MINISTERIAL LEVEL TROIKA, BUT HE CONFIRMED THAT THE PRESIDENCY WOULD TABLE THE PROPOSAL IN BRUSSELS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK. HE ALSO SAID THE PRESIDENCY WOULD INCLUDE MOLDOVA ON THE AGENDAS OF THE SEPTEMBER 5 POLITICAL AND SECURITY (COPS) AND SEPTEMBER 9 COSCE (EU-OSCE WORKING GROUP) MEETINGS. ¶2. (C) BASCONE SAID THAT MOLDOVA WOULD BE INCLUDED IN PM BERLUSCONI'S BRIEFING PACKAGE FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN'S VISIT TO BERLUSCONI'S SUMMER HOME IN SARDINIA ON AUGUST 28. HE ALSO NOTED THAT MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT VORONIN WOULD BE IN ROME FOR A STATE VISIT ON NOVEMBER 26. THE VISIT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR ITALY TO PUSH VORONIN TO ENGAGE MORE ACTIVELY WITH THE TRANSNISTRIAN LEADERSHIP. ¶3. (C) EMBASSY NOTE. THIS BEING AUGUST, HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS, FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTER ON DOWN, ARE AWAY FROM ROME FOR THEIR VACATIONS. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE SKELETON STAFF IN THE PM'S OFFICE TO SET A MEETING BETWEEN THE CHARGE AND DIPLOMATIC ADVISOR (NSA EQUIVALENT) CASTELLANETA PRIOR TO BERLUSCONI'S MEETING WITH PUTIN, DURING WHICH WE CAN REINFORCE REFTEL POINTS AND PUSH FOR MOLDOVA TO BE PART OF THE FINAL AGENDA IN SARDINIA. WE WILL ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE ISSUE WHEN U/S BOLTON AND CHARGE MEET WITH POLDIR ARAGONA ON AUGUST 27, ARAGONA'S FIRST DAY BACK FROM VACATION. SKODON NNNN 2003ROME03700 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL