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