ITALIANS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT CONSTABULARY INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001579 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/PGI, PM/PPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014 TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL PGOV KPKO IT SUBJECT: ITALIANS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT CONSTABULARY INITIATIVE REF: STATE 87414 CLASSIFIED BY: LABOR COUNSELOR JOHN BASS FOR REASONS 1.5(B)(D) ¶1. (C) POLMIN COUNSELOR DISCUSSED REFTEL POINTS WITH MFA DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR CLAUDIO BISOGNIERO ON APRIL 21. BISOGNIERO CONFIRMED THAT HE WILL SERVE AS THE MFA'S POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE GLOBAL PEACE OPERATIONS INITIATIVE. HE SAID THE APRIL 22-23 POLITICAL DIRECTORS' DISCUSSIONS IN PARIS WILL ADDRESS THE LOGISTICS OF HOW BEST TO FIT TOGETHER THE G8 INITIATIVE WITH EXISTING EU, US AND UN PROGRAMS. ¶2. (C) THE DATT ALSO RAISED REFTEL POINTS WITH CARABINIERI COS MGEN PICCIRILLO ON APRIL 21. PICCIRILLO WAS AWARE OF THE INITIATIVE AND SAW IT AS AN OFFSHOOT OF A PROPOSAL THE CARABINIERI HAS BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR THIS TYPE OF TRAINING AT AN EXISTING FACILITY IN VICENZA. ISSUES SUCH AS FUNDING FOR THE TRAINING CENTER AND THE BASIC PERFORMANCE STANDARD FOR GRADUATES TO MEET STILL NEED TO BE DISCUSSED BUT THE CARABINIERI FULLY SUPPORT THE CONCEPT, ACCORDING TO PICCIRILLO. ¶3. (C) COMMENT. OUR CONTACTS AT THE MFA AND THE CARABINIERI HQ ARE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE INITIATIVE. WE UNDERSTAND THE CARB TRAINING ACADEMY IN VICENZA CONSISTS LARGELY OF CLASSROOMS AND BARRACKS AT THIS POINT BUT COULD BE EXPANDED AS NEEDED. WE WILL REPORT IN MORE DETAIL AS WE LEARN MORE FROM THE ITALIANS ABOUT POSSIBLE TRAINING FACILITIES. END COMMENT. VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M SKODON NNNN 2004ROME01579 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL