EU/LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO - ITALY WON'T RISK

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003847

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2014
TAGS: PREL PARM IT EUN
SUBJECT: EU/LIBYA ARMS EMBARGO - ITALY WON'T RISK
REQUESTING PULLBACK TO PARTIAL LIFTING

REF: STATE 207640

Classifie By: A/DCM TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON:1.5 (B)(D)


1. (C) MFA Director for EU CFSP Luigi Mattiol/ told poloff
on October 1 that he saw "little or no chance" that the
October 11 GAERC will not approve the COREPER recommendation
that Qhe EU arms embargo be lifted in its entirety. Qrocess to
partially l
ift September in an effort tools it
needed to contrtop illegal
immigra. Mattiolo was veryal was accepted with vd other member
state pe
rmQ`h `re the US to halt some assferring country. He said hifting
the embargo wo`n strengthening the EU transfer, to include
aing mechanism
and increase`lly
with regard to weap`ntries recently
subject to an embargo.


3. (C) When pressed, Mattiolo confirmed that Italy was
willing to accept a partial lifting, and still would if it
was proposed and clear it would reach quick consensus. Italy
would not, underlined Mattiolo, propose such a measure
itself. He stressed the immediate illegal immigration
concerns driving Italian policy, and said that Italy would
not risk sabotaging the progress made thus far and "starting
all over again in Brussels."


4. (C) Comment: Illegal immigration from Libya remains one
of the hottest political issues in Italy. Once the "two
Simonas" were released from captivity in Iraq, the issue
reassumed its place among the top headlines in national
dailies. It is highly unlikely that the government will do
anything that risks undermining what it considers as real
progress in stemming this flow across the Mediterranean, for
instance, Tripoli's agreement to accept the return of the
latest group of clandestine immigrants.


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2004ROME03847 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL