LIBYA/UNSC: NO CONCRETE RESULTS IN THE ITALIAN/LIBYAN FMS' MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000495



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2013



TAGS: PREL, IT, LY, IZ, UNSC

SUBJECT: LIBYA/UNSC: NO CONCRETE RESULTS IN THE

ITALIAN/LIBYAN FMS' MEETING



REF: ROME 443



CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASO

NS 1.5 (B) AND (D)



1. (C) CESARE RAGAGLINI, FM FRATTINI'S CHIEF OF STAFF,

DEBRIEFED POL MC ON THE FEB. 5 MEETING IN ROME BETWEEN

FRATTINI AND THE LIBYAN FM ABDEL RAHMAN SHALGAM. FRATTINI

TOLD SHALGAM THAT HE HAD CONVEYED TO THE SECRETARY LIBYA'S

INTEREST IN CLOSING THE LOCKERBIE FILE. INSTEAD OF JUST

TALKING ABOUT IT, FRATTINI TOLD SHALGAM, IT WAS TIME TO DO

SOMETHING CONCRETE ABOUT IT. IN THAT CONTEXT, FRATTINI

ENCOURAGED SHALGAM TO DEFER THE IDEA OF A LIBYAN CANDIDACY

FOR THE UNSC TO ANOTHER YEAR. SHALGAM DID NOT RESPOND ON THE

SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUE, BUT REPEATED HOW HE HOPED TO CLOSE

THE LOCKERBIE FILE THIS YEAR. FRATTINI THEN REPEATED THAT,

SINCE LIBYA DID NOT KNOW WHEN IT WOULD BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE

LOCKERBIE FILE, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GIVE UP ON THE IDEA OF

THE UNSC RIGHT NOW. SHALGAM STILL MADE NO SUBSTANTIVE

COMMENT.



2. (U) IN A STATEMENT ISSUED AFTER THE FRATTINI-SHALGAM

MEETING, THE MFA STATED THAT:

-- ON IRAQ, FRATTINI STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMMON EU

POSITION SEEKING IRAQI DISARMAMENT THROUGH THE UN, AS WELL AS

"ACTIVE IRAQI COOPERATION" WITH WEAPONS INSPECTORS.

-- ON THE MIDDLE EAST, FRATTINI UNDERSCORED THE NEED FOR A

RENEWED DIPLOMATIC PUSH BY THE QUARTET TO BRING THE TWO SIDES

BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE ALONG THE LINES OF THE U.S.

ROAD MAP.

-- FRATTINI AND SHALGAM REVIEWED COOPERATION IN FIGHTING

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND FRATTINI STRESSED THAT ITALY WAS

URGING THE EU TO SUPPORT LIBYA'S EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE

PROBLEM.



SEMBLER





2003ROME00495 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL