ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY - GAERC POSITIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004662

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/WE.

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013
TAGS: PREL IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY - GAERC POSITIONS

REF: STATE 286468

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)(
D)


1. (SBU) ON OCTOBER 9, THE MFA'S EU EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT
AND ESDP COORDINATOR SANDRO DE BERNADIN BRIEFED POL MINISTER
COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN AND POLOFF ON EXPECTED CONCLUSIONS
FOR THE OCTOBER 13-14 GAERC.

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IRAN
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2. (C) DE BERNADIN EXPECTED THAT MINISTERS WOULD ISSUE A
STATEMENT WHICH REINFORCED PREVIOUS EU CALLS FOR IRAN TO
COMPLY WITH IAEA DEMANDS TO LIVE UP TO ITS NON-PROLIFERATION
OBLIGATIONS, AND SPELL OUT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ON
EU-IRAN RELATIONS SHOULD IRAN CONTINUE TO IGNORE IAEA
RESOLUTIONS. THAT SAID, HE ALSO EXPECTED THAT THE NEXT
REPORT BY IAEA DG ELBAREDI WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO CONTAIN
SPECIFIC, CLEAR CONCLUSIONS. DE BERNADIN AGREED WITH
COUNTRYMAN'S OBSERVATION THAT IT WILL THEREFORE BE IMPORTANT
FOR THE US AND EU TO WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON
TEHRAN. HE ALSO NOTED THAT AS ITALY IS NOW A MEMBER OF THE
BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE IAEA, IT CAN HELP TO PUSH THE
IRANIANS IN THAT CAPACITY.


3. (C) DE BERNADIN AGREED WITH POINTS REFTEL NOTING THAT THE
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN IRAN WAS DETERIORATING, BUT WAS
NON-COMMITTAL ON WHETHER THE EU WOULD TABLE OR SUPPORT A
STRONG UNGA RESOLUTION ON IRAN. MINISTERS WILL CONSIDER THE
EFFECTS OF A RESOLUTION ON THOSE TRYING TO EFFECT CHANGE
INTERNALLY IN IRAN BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO WRITE, SUPPORT,
OR NOT SUPPORT SUCH A RESOLUTION. SEPARATELY, DIRECTOR OF
THE MFA'S OFFICE OF GULF AFFAIRS, LUIGI MACOTTA, TOLD POL MC
THAT THE OCTOBER 8 DISCUSSION OF EU EXPERTS IN BRUSSELS WAS
DEEPLY DIVIDED. HE THOUGHT IT UNLIKELY THAT THE EU COULD
EVEN REACH A CONSENSUS TO SUPPORT A RESOLUTION OFFERED BY
ANOTHER MEMBER (E.G., CANADA).


4. (C) POLOFF ALSO DELIVERED POINTS TO GIOVANNI IANNUZZI,
HEAD OF THE MFA'S OFFICE OF DISARMAMENT. IANNUZZI CALLED THE
DEMARCHE TIMELY AND "VERY USEFUL," SINCE HE WAS ABOUT TO
WRITE THE DRAFT CONCLUSIONS FOR THE GAERC AND COULD
INCORPORATE OUR SUGGESTIONS. IN FACT, THE IRAN IAEA ISSUE
WAS ORIGINALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE GAERC AGENDA, BUT
MFA DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS GIANCARLO ARAGONA
HAD RECENTLY ASKED IT TO BE ADDED.


5. (C) IANNUZZI ALSO SAID THE EL BAREDEI REPORT WOULD BE
NEITHER BLACK NOR WHITE, BUT VERY "GRAY," AND THAT THE NAM
STATES WOULD PRESENT THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO SECURING
AGREEMENT ON A NON-COMPLIANCE FINDING. HE TERMED THE
SEPTEMBER 12 AGREEMENT "VERY FORTUNATE" GIVEN THE NAM'S
OPPOSITION THEN. HE DID NOT ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE
EU IN GETTING AGREEMENT AT THE NEXT BOG MEETING; THE PROBLEM,
HE SAID, WOULD BE AFTERWARDS, IF THE MATTER IS REFERRED TO
THE UNSC.

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BALKANS
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6. (C) BALKAN OFFICE DIRECTOR FERNANDO GENTILINI TOLD US
THAT ICTY JUSTICE CARLA DEL PONTE'S INVITATION TO ADDRESS THE
GAERC ON OCTOBER 13 WILL UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE THE EU
ATTACHES TO CROATIA, AND OTHER BALKAN STATES, LIVING UP TO
ITS COMMITMENTS TO TURN OVER PIFWCS TO THE HAGUE. HE THOUGHT
IT UNLIKELY THAT THE MINISTERS WOULD SPEND MUCH TIME
DISCUSSING BALKAN ISSUES OTHER THAN THOSE DIRECTLY RELATED TO
DEL PONTE'S BRIEFING.


7. (C) GENTILINI REPORTED THAT THE EU WAS STILL IN THE
PROCESS OF ENSURING ANY ACTION DESIGNED TO BLOCK USE OF
FINANCIAL ASSETS AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL OF PIFWCS AND THEIR
SUPPORTERS WOULD PASS MUSTER IN THE EUROPEAN COURT
OF JUSTICE. ITALY DOES NOT WANT THE BANS/FREEZES TO BE
EASILY DISMISSED. GENTILINI SAID THAT A COMPREHENSIVE EU
REPORT UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND WILL HOPEFULLY BE ADOPTED BY THE
END OF THE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY.


8. (U) SEPTEL WILL REPORT ITALY'S VIEWS ON CONTROLLING
MIGRATORY FLOWS.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME04662 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL