ITALIAN MFA AGREES TO SUPPORT OSCE PARTNER STATUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000856

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL IT OSCE
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA AGREES TO SUPPORT OSCE PARTNER STATUS
FOR AFGHANISTAN

REF: STATE 53632

CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLMINCOUNS G. ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5
(B) AND (D)

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 00856 021824Z

1. (C) WE DELIVERED TO MFA OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR OSCE ISSUES
FABIO CRISTIANI REFTEL DEMARCHE REQUESTING GOI SUPPORT FOR
AFGHANISTAN TO BECOME AN OSCE PARTNER FOR COOPERATION. HE
INDICATED THAT ITALY WOULD SUPPORT THE REQUEST, REFERRING TO
AN UPCOMING MARCH 6 MEETING IN VIENNA.


2. (C) CRISTIANI INQUIRED ABOUT THE RUSSIAN POSITION AND
REACTION. DRAWING ON REFTEL, WE SAID IT SEEMED THAT IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE G-8, RUSSIA'S CONCERNS MAY HAVE BEEN ALLAYED.
CRISTIANI ALSO QUESTIONED THE COST IMPLICATIONS OF THE
PROPOSAL, NOTING THE DIFFICULTY OF FUNDING ADDITIONAL
PROJECTS MID-YEAR. HE ASKED IF THE PROPOSAL HAD BEEN
COORDINATED WITH UN SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE LAKHDAR BRAHIMI, AND URGED STRONG COOPERATION
BETWEEN THE UN AND OSCE IN AFGHANISTAN. DESPITE THESE
QUESTIONS, HOWEVER, HE REPEATED THAT THE GOI WOULD SUPPORT
THE REQUEST.


3. (U) THE MEETING ENDED WITH CRISTIANI REITERATING A
PREVIOUS REQUEST FOR ADVANCE NOTICE ON U.S. IDEAS OR PLANS
FOR THE OSCE AND WITH A PLEA FOR AN UPDATE ON U.S. POSITIONS
WITHIN AND TOWARD THE ORGANIZATION. HE NOTED THAT IN ITS
UPCOMING ROLE AS EU PRESIDENT, ITALY COULD AND WOULD LIKE TO
COORDINATE EVEN MORE CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. IN THE OSCE.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2003ROME00856 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL