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. -------------- IRAN -------------- ¶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. -------------- BALKANS -------------- ¶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 NNNN 2003ROME04662 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL