ITALY OPPOSES SANCTIONS FOR BURMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000855

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM BM IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALY OPPOSES SANCTIONS FOR BURMA

REF: STATE 42342

CLASSIFIED BY: POL M/C TOM COUNTRYMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) MFA SOUTHEAST ASIA OFFICE DIRECTOR, MARCO DELLA SETA,
REPORTED THAT ITALY DOES NOT SUPPORT ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON
BURMA. SINCE BURMA HAS A TRADITIONAL ECONOMY AND IS NOT A
MAJOR TRADING PARTNER WITH THE EU, THE GOI BELIEVES SANCTIONS
WOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON THE GOVERNMENT AND INSTEAD, HURT
THE BURMESE PEOPLE AND SEND THE WRONG SIGNAL TO ASIAN
PARTNERS. DELLA SETA EXPRESSED ITALY'S PREFERENCE TO CONTINUE
EMPHASIZING DIALOGUE AND GREATER ENGAGEMENT FROM ASIAN
PARTNERS SUCH AS THAILAND, WHICH HE FELT HAD DEMONSTRATED
SOME POSITIVE INFLUENCE RECENTLY.


2. (C) DELLA SETA STATED THAT A NUMBER, BUT NOT THE MAJORITY,
OF EU STATES SHARE THE ITALIAN POSITION AND THAT HE FEELS THE
CURRENT EU POLICY WILL BE CONTINUED. THE USG POSITION WILL BE
DISCUSSED AT THE COASI MEETING, BUT NEW SANCTIONS WOULD NOT
BE IMPOSED UNLESS THE SITUATION IN BURMA CONSIDERABLY
DETERIORATED, DELLA SETA CONCLUDED.
SEMBLER

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2004ROME00855 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL