ITALY SUPPORTS DRAFT NONPRO UNSCR AND US NPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001565

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2014
TAGS: KNNP PREL IT NPT UNSC IAEA
SUBJECT: ITALY SUPPORTS DRAFT NONPRO UNSCR AND US NPT
PREPCOM III POSITIONS

REF: A. STATE 87268

B. STATE 63169

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR THOMAS COUNTRYMAN FOR REASO
NS 1.5(B)(D)


1. (C) ITALY SUPPORTS THE LATEST VERSION OF THE DRAFT UNSC
RESOLUTION ON NONPROLIFERATION (REFTEL A),ACCORDING TO PIERO
SARDI IN THE ITALIAN MFA ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT
OFFICER. THE EU WILL MAKE A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT DURING THE
APRIL 22 OPEN SESSION, SARDI TOLD POL-MIL OFFICER DURING AN
APRIL 21 MEETING. THE RESOLUTION LANGUAGE IS FULLY IN LINE
WITH ITALY'S NONPROLIFERATION STRATEGY, HE SAID.


2. (C) SARDI ALSO SAID THAT ITALY LARGELY AGREES WITH THE US
POSITIONS FOR THE UPCOMING NPT PREPCOM III MEETING (REFTEL
B). SARDI APPRECIATED RECEIVING REFTEL POINTS (PROVIDED TO
HIM ON MARCH 26) AND NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF CLOSE
COOPERATION WITH PARTNERS SUCH AS THE US. ITALY, AND THE EU,
AGREE WITH THE US THAT PROCEDURAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE REVCON
SHOULD NOT BE TIED TO AGREEMENT ON SUBSTANTIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS, HE SAID.


3. (C) THE EU IS DOING A LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSAL TO
RESTRICT THE EXPORT OF ENRICHMENT AND REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
AND EQUIPMENT TO DETERMINE ITS COMPATIBILITY WITH THE EURATOM
TREATY, THE EU SINGLE MARKET RULES AND COMPETITION LAWS,
ACCORDING TO SARDI. THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT THE MARCH NUCLEAR
SUPPLIERS GROUP (NSG) MEETING IN VIENNA, HE SAID. IT WILL BE
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL EXPORTS WITHIN AN EU INTERNAL MARKET
THAT ENCOMPASSES 25 COUNTRIES. THE EURATOM TREATY PUTS
CERTAIN FACILITIES UNDER AN EU UMBRELLA, WHICH MEANS EU
RATHER THAN NATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS WILL BE INVOLVED, SARDI
EXPLAINED. HE NOTED THAT SOME COUNTRIES ATTENDING THE NSG
MEETING OBJECTED TO THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO
FURTHER DIFFERENTIATE AMONG STATES: THOSE THAT HAVE NUCLEAR
CAPABILITY, THOSE THAT DON'T, AND THOSE WITH SOME CAPABILITY.
THE PROPOSAL MIGHT GENERATE FURTHER CRITICSM OF THE NPT FROM
DISCONTENTED COUNTRIES, HE SAID. IN ADDITION, COUNTRIES, SUCH
AS JAPAN, THAT HAVE REPROCESSING CAPABILITIES MAY NOT HAVE
THE CAPACITY TO REPROCESS OTHER COUNTRIES' FUEL. FOR THESE
REASONS, A MORE NARROW BRITISH PROPOSAL THAT RESTRICTS SUCH
EXPORTS TO NON-COMPLYING COUNTRIES MIGHT BE WORTH EXPLORING.


4. (C) SARDI NOTED THAT, FOR ITALY, THE FISSILE MATERIAL
CUTOFF TREATY (FMCT) IS LINKED TO THE NPT. SARDI ASKED THE
STATUS OF THE USG'S FMCT REVIEW AND NOTED THAT IT WOULD
STRENGTHEN THE NPT AND DISARMAMENT EFFORTS IN GENERAL FOR THE
TREATY TO ENTER INTO FORCE. ITALY, AND THE EU, SUPPORT THE
TREATY AND WOULD BE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THE US TO GAIN
CONSENSUS AND ENFORCE ITS PROVISIONS.

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2004ROME01565 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL