Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME4245
2003-09-18 09:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

AFHGANISTAN: ITALIAN MFA SHARES FUNDING

Tags:  PREL EAID AF IT AFGHANISTAN 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004245 

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, AMBASSADOR TAYLOR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2013
TAGS: PREL EAID AF IT AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: AFHGANISTAN: ITALIAN MFA SHARES FUNDING
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DUBAI, TO ASSIST IN "VOTER REGISTRATION"

REF: A. STATE 237880

B. ROME 3827

C. USEU BRUSSELS 4375

D. STATE 258067

E. ROME 4155

F. 9/5/03 LERNER-ROCHMAN-THIEDE ET AL E-MAIL

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004245

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR SA/FO, AMBASSADOR TAYLOR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2013
TAGS: PREL EAID AF IT AFGHANISTAN
SUBJECT: AFHGANISTAN: ITALIAN MFA SHARES FUNDING
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DUBAI, TO ASSIST IN "VOTER REGISTRATION"

REF: A. STATE 237880

B. ROME 3827

C. USEU BRUSSELS 4375

D. STATE 258067

E. ROME 4155

F. 9/5/03 LERNER-ROCHMAN-THIEDE ET AL E-MAIL

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINCOUNS THOMAS COUNTRYMAN, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (SBU) WE RECEIVED ON SEPTEMBER 17 A FAX FROM AMBASSADOR
ENRICO DE MAIO, ITALIAN MFA SPECIAL ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN,
ADDRESSED TO AMBASSADOR TAYLOR. (FULL TEXT OF LETTER IS AT
PARA 5.) IN THE LETTER, DE MAIO CONFIRMS, IN ITALY'S ROLE AS
HOLDER OF THE EU PRESIDENCY, THAT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND
EU MEMBERS PLEDGED ALMOST 20 MILLION DOLLARS IN RESPONSE TO
THE U.S. REQUEST FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR VOTER
REGISTRATION (REF A). THE LETTER ASSURES US AS WELL THAT
ITALY WILL CONTINUE ADVOCATING "A FAIR SHARE OF EU FUNDING"
FOR ELECTION-RELATED COSTS IN AFGHANISTAN.


2. (SBU) WHEN DE MAIO TELEPHONED TO ANNOUNCE THE
ASSISTANCE, POLOFF EXPRESSED USG GRATITUDE FOR THE FUNDING
BUT ALSO NOTED THAT, PER REF F, FUNDS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION
MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND. DE MAIO SAID HE HAD UNDERSTOOD THE
SAME, BUT POINTED OUT THERE WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH DEMAND
FOR THE FUNDING, EVEN IF THE IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY HAD BEEN
OVERCOME. HE ALSO NOTED WRYLY THAT WE HAD REQUESTED THE
ASSISTANCE IN WRITING, AND ITALY WAS THEREFORE DUTY-BOUND TO
REPLY. DE MAIO REITERATED HIS GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT ON THE
URGENCY FOR AMPLE FUNDING FOR AFGHANISTAN ACROSS THE BOARD
AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THE INTERNATIONAL FOCUS ON
REFORM, ELECTIONS, AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY (REF B).


3. (SBU) DE MAIO CLARIFIED THAT THESE FUNDS DID NOT COME
OUT OF PREVIOUS PLEDGES, BUT REPRESENT NEW MONIES. THE EU
WILL ANNOUNCE THIS PLEDGE AT DUBAI, HE EXPLAINED, AND SOME
ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES WHICH WERE UNABLE TO PLEDGE AT THE
SEPTEMBER 8 MEETING MIGHT BE ABLE EITHER TO SIGN ON IN
ADVANCE OF DUBAI, INCREASING THE AMOUNT, OR BRING ADDITIONAL
FUNDS TO THE DUBAI SESSION. ITALY STILL PLANS TO ANNOUNCE AN
INDIVIDUAL PLEDGE IN DUBAI, AS WELL -- BUT DE MAIO HAD NO
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE AMOUNT (SEE REF E).


4. (C) COMMENT: IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE ASSISTANCE IN DE
MAIO'S LETTER COULD BE THAT FORETOLD BY EC COMMISSION ASIA
DIRECTOR FOTIADES (REF C). DE MAIO'S LETTER SPECIFICALLY
TIES THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUR REQUEST FOR FUNDS TO ASSIST WITH
VOTER REGISTRATION, WHILE FOTIADES SAID EU MEMBER STATES HAD
RESPONDED TO A CALL FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR SECURITY
INITIATIVES IN AFGHANISTAN. (DE MAIO'S LETTER ALSO REFERS TO
THE NEED FOR POLICE SALARIES, BUT IN THE ELECTION CONTEXT.)
IN ANY EVENT, MORE MONEY IS GOOD -- AND WE HOPE THE DETAILS
OF WHERE IT EVENTUALLY GOES CAN BE WORKED OUT.


5. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT, LETTER FROM AMBASSADOR DE MAIO TO
AMBASSADOR WILLIAM B. TAYLOR:

DEAR AMBASSADOR TAYLOR,

FIRSTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR YOUR
APPOINTMENT AS COORDINATOR FOR AFGHANISTAN.

WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR REQUEST TO ITALY, ALSO AS HOLDER OF
THE EU PRESIDENCY, TO MEET THE IMMEDIATE NEED FOR 10 MILLION
DOLLARS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, I AM GLAD TO INFORM YOU THAT
WE REACHED THE GOAL AT A MEETING IN BRUXELLES ON SEPTEMBER
THE 8TH OF THE EXPERTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION. IN
FACT WE OVERCAME THE TARGET AS THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND
THE EU MEMBERS PLEDGED ALMOST 20 MILLION DOLLARS. OF COURSE
WE ARE AWARE OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS (75.6
MILLION US$ PLUS 11 US$ (SIC) FOR THE POLICE) AND WE SHALL
CONTINUE ADVOCATING A FAIR SHARE OF EU FUNDING.

WITH MY BEST REGARDS,
(SIGNED) ENRICO DE MAIO

END TEXT.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME04245 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL