FMCT/CD: ITALY WELCOMES USG SUPPORT FOR

S E C R E T ROME 002192

SIPDIS


STATE FOR AC/ISN AND GENEVA CD DEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2014
TAGS: AORC KNNP PARM PREL TSPA CDG
SUBJECT: FMCT/CD: ITALY WELCOMES USG SUPPORT FOR
NEGOTIATIONS

REF: SECSTATE 125075

CLASSIFIED BY: POLMILCOUNS GARY ROBBINS FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (S) POLMILCOUNS ON JUNE 7 MET WITH MFA ARMS CONTROL OFFICE
DIRECTOR FILIPPO FORMICA TO CONVEY REFTEL POINTS. COUNSELOR
PIERO SARDI AND POLMILOFF WERE IN ATTENDANCE. FORMICA'S RANK
ON THE MFA'S LINE CHART IS TECHNICALLY LOWER THAN THAT OF A
DAS, BUT HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AND LEVEL OF EXPERTISE ARE
EQUIVALENT. FORMICA WELCOMED AS "VERY GOOD NEWS" USG
WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE A FISSILE MATERIAL CUTOFF TREATY AT
THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT. STARTING NEGOTIATIONS IS A
"TOP PRIORITY" FOR ITALY. FORMICA NOTED THAT THE EU
NONPROLIFERATION STRATEGY AGREED DURING THE ITALIAN EU
PRESIDENCY ALSO INCLUDED FMCT NEGOTIATIONS AS A PRIORITY. HE
SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO WIPE AWAY THE CONTRADICTION ARISING
FROM G8 FUNDS BEING SPENT TO DISMANTLE NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PRODUCED BY THE FORMER SOVIET UNION AND THE LACK OF A BAN ON
FISSILE MATERIAL PRODUCTION. USG REAFFIRMATION OF ITS
UNILATERAL MORATORIUM ON SUCH PRODUCTION WAS APPRECIATED.


2. (S) FORMICA SAID HE WOULD NEED TO REVIEW THE TEXT OF THE
SHANNON MANDATE BEFORE COMMENTING ON ITALY'S POSITION WITH
RESPECT TO TREATY VERIFICATION. AS A GENERAL RULE, ITALY
FAVORS VERIFICATION AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE
DISARMAMENT TOOLBOX, FORMICA SAID. IN THIS VEIN, HE
MENTIONED ITALY'S SUPPORT FOR VERIFICATION MECHANISMS IN THE
CWC AND THE BWC PROTOCOL. FORMICA NEVERTHELESS ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT NATIONAL SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS CAN IN SOME
CIRCUMSTANCES SUPPORT A MORE NUANCED VIEW OF VERIFICATION.


3. (S) FORMICA EMPHASIZED THAT ITALY IS IN FAVOR OF
DE-LINKING FMCT NEGOTIATIONS FROM OTHER POTENTIAL CD WORK
AREAS SUCH AS PAROS AND ACCEPTS THE NOTION OF A "CLEAN
NEGOTIATING MANDATE." HE SAW NO REASON WHY ITALY WOULD WANT
TO LINK PROGRESS ON A U.S.-PROPOSED BAN ON PERSISTENT
LANDMINES TO MOVING FORWARD ON A FMCT. FORMICA SAID AN
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO END THE PRODUCTION OF FISSILE
MATERIAL FOR NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS WAS AN ESSENTIAL COMPLEMENT
TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S PROPOSAL TO BAN THE SALE OF URANIUM
ENRICHMENT AND REPROCESSING TECHNOLOGY/EQUIPMENT TO STATES
THAT DO NOT POSSESS SUCH FACILITIES. FORMICA WELCOMED THE USG
PROPOSAL TO BRIEF CD DELEGATIONS AFTER OUR INITIAL
PRESENTATION IN GENEVA.


4. (S) SARDI POINTED OUT THAT ITALY WOULD EVENTUALLY SEEK TO
COORDINATE ITS POSITION WITH ITS EU PARTNERS AND ASKED IF THE
USG WAS SHARING ITS VIEWS WITH ALL EU MEMBER STATES. HE HOPED
THE USG WAS CONVEYING ITS APPROACH IN DUBLIN SINCE IRELAND
HOLDS THE EU PRESIDENCY AND NOTED THAT THE NEXT CODUN
(DISARMAMENT) WORKING GROUP MEETING IN BRUSSELS (JUNE 10)
COULD BE A PRIME OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN INTRA-EU DISCUSSIONS.
POLMILCOUNS EXPLAINED TO SARDI THAT THE USG WANTED TO CONSULT
FIRST WITH KEY CD PARTNERS SUCH AS ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY,
AND THE UK BEFORE DETAILING OUR POSITION TO OTHER EU STATES.
IN KEEPING WITH OUR INTEREST IN FIRST GAUGING THE POSITIONS
OF A FEW KEY COUNTRIES, POLMILCOUNS REQUESTED THAT ITALY
REFRAIN FROM BROACHING THE USG'S FMCT POLICY REVIEW AT THE
CODUN.

VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M

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2004ROME02192 - Classification: SECRET