CCW ANTI-VEHICLE MINES: ITALY SUPPORTS US

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004994 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM/HDP E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2013 TAGS: PREL PARM MCAP IT EUN SUBJECT: CCW ANTI-VEHICLE MINES: ITALY SUPPORTS US INITIATIVE IN THEORY, BUT HUNG UP ON PROCESS REF: A. SECSTATE 299631 ¶B. BRUSSELS 4783 CLASSIFIED BY: POL-MIL COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B),(D) ¶1. (C) POLMIL OFF DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO PAOLO CUCULI IN THE MFA'S DISARMAMENT OFFICE ON 24 OCTOBER. CUCULI RECALLED THAT ITALY, AS CURRENT HOLDER OF THE EU PRESIDENCY, DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH THE US, REPRESENTED BY BOB LUACES, AT THE SEPTEMBER 26 US-EU TROIKA CONSULTATIONS ON GLOBAL DISARMAMENT (REF B). AS OF NOVEMBER 3, CUCULI SAID THAT THE MFA IS STILL WAITING FOR THE MOD'S GENERAL STAFF TO COMMENT ON THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED PROTOCOL BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO BECOME A CO-SPONSOR. FURTHERMORE, ITALY BELIEVES THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT NAM STATES DO NOT PERCEIVE THE INITIATIVE AS A "WESTERN" PROPOSAL -- IT IS LESS IMPORTANT TO ADD MORE EU CO-SPONSORS THAN IT IS TO GET ANOTHER NAM COUNTRY TO CO-SPONSOR THE PROPOSAL. THEREFORE, CUCULI EXPLAINED, WHILE ITALY SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL, BEING A CO-SPONSOR IS NOT A PRIORITY. ¶2. (C) LIKEWISE, CUCULI SAID, ITALY HAS ALWAYS SAID IT FAVORS A NEW AVM NEGOTIATING MANDATE. HOWEVER, HE ADDED, IF A NEW AVM NEGOTIATING MANDATE IS APPROVED, ALL NEGOTIATIONS WILL NEED TO START "FROM ZERO," THUS IT IS PREMATURE TO DISCUSS AN ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL. CUCULI SAID HE IS CURRENTLY PREPARING THE DRAFT EU STATEMENT FOR THE 27-28 NOVEMBER MEETING OF STATES PARTY TO THE CONVENTION ON CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS IN GENEVA. THIS STATEMENT, HE SAID, WILL BE IN FAVOR OF THE NEW MANDATE, ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE AMENDED IF NECESSARY TO REFLECT THE NOVEMBER 17-26 DISCUSSIONS OF GOVERNMENT EXPERTS. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME04994 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL