Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME5688
2003-12-22 18:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ADDRESSES EUROPEAN

Tags:  MCAP PREL IT NATO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005688 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013
TAGS: MCAP PREL IT NATO
SUBJECT: ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ADDRESSES EUROPEAN
SECURITY

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Tom Countryman for Reasons
1.5(b)(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 005688

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2013
TAGS: MCAP PREL IT NATO
SUBJECT: ITALIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ADDRESSES EUROPEAN
SECURITY

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Tom Countryman for Reasons
1.5(b)(d)


1. (U) Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino reiterated
the need for Europe to improve actual military capabilities
while building a European security concept that continues to
features NATO as its core. Speaking at the Italian Defense
Academy recently, Martino noted that the traditional, narrow
concept of European defense is expanding to reflect a wider,
collective security concept aimed at guaranteeing stability,
preventing conflicts, battling global terrorism and halting
the spread of weapons of mass destruction.


2. (U) NATO will continue to be indispensable, Martino
emphasized, adding that any detachment from NATO must
absolutely be avoided as it would be overly ambitious,
duplicative and wasteful. Europe should aim at creating an
effective force that can act under NATO or European command,
and should take advantage of the experience and cooperative
mechanisms already in place, adjusting them if needed, he
stated. Other EU DefMins had responded positively to Italy's
plan for achieving by 2010 an interoperable European force
that can conduct any type of mission, anywhere, Martino
noted, a goal set by Javier Solana in June 2003.


3. (U) Martino said he is less worried about the particulars
of EU defense concepts than he is about the growing gap
between US and European capabilities. He blamed excessive
media attention for generating unwarranted fears about
autonomous EU defense plans. The greater risk, according to
Martino, is the qualitative and quantitative gap between US
and European capabilities, which makes it increasingly
difficult to conduct joint operations. The EU spends about
one-half of what the US spends on defense but gets only about
ten percent of the capability the US attains. The deficit
results from each EU member trying to have a complete
repertoire of capabilities, which results in inefficient
duplications that reduce the EU's overall capacity, he
explained. Within the EU, as between the EU and NATO, the
goal must be complementarity, not duplication or competition.


4. (U) The proposed European Defense Agency will be an
important step toward more efficient collaboration and use of
limited resources, Martino said. The Agency will have a
central role in coordinating the policies of various sectors,
overcoming duplications and harmonizing investments in
research, development and acquisition of armaments. Europe
needs to create a more efficient, expanded arms market that
operates beyond narrow national interests for a more
collective, continental approach, according to Martino.
Consolidating and strengthening the industrial base and
defense technology will benefit each EU member as well as the
EU and NATO, he said, and will contribute to the development
of national and European technology and production
capabilities. Martino noted Italy's efforts, as EU
President, to accelerate the creation of the Agency, which he
said represents a fundamental step in the construction of EU
defense and security.


5. (U) What this means for Italy, according to Martino, is
that defense spending must be linked to a smooth and rapid
modernization of the Italian military. Failure in the past
to spend on recapitalization measures must now be remedied,
despite the shortage of resources and current difficult
economic conditions. The resources that are available should
be concentrated on filling essential missing capabilities.


6. (U) Martino also stressed the importance of remaining in
Iraq until a functioning democracy and economy have been
established. (Comment: Even before the November 12 bombing of
the Carabinieri headquarters in Nassiyria that killed 19
Italians, Martino encouraged Italy to extend its
participation in Iraqi reconstruction. He has become more
public and more ardent about the need for Italy to stay since
those Italian lives were lost.)


7. (C) Comment. Martino's message on building capabilities
as the best way to strengthen European security is one he has
delivered consistently and fervently since becoming defense
minister in 2001. He has pushed the point hard during
Italy's EU Presidency, both within the EU and NATO, always
stressing that NATO is, and must remain, the primary security
organization. Most importantly, he practices what he
preaches by using Italy's limited defense funds to transform
and improve Italian military capabilities in ways that


strengthen the NATO alliance. End Comment.
SEMBLER


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2003ROME05688 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL