ITALIAN VIEWS ON JUNE 13 GAERC AGENDA; ITALY WILL

1. (C) MFA Director for EU CFSP Luigi Mattiolo told Poloff
that since this is the first GAERC after the French and Dutch
"no" on the Constitution, FMs will discuss, over dinner
Sunday evening June 12, alternatives on the way forward for
ratification and the implications of freezing the process for
EU initiatives across the board, from enlargement to ongoing
negotiations on the EU's financial perspective for 2007-2013
to efforts to create a true Common Foreign and Security
Policy. The way ahead should be more clear after the final
Council meeting of the Luxembourg Presidency on June 16.
Mattiolo's personal view is that the ratification process
should go forward as planned, with a reevaluation of options
in November of 2006 if 4/5 of member states have ratified, as
stipulated in the current treaty draft. He is hopeful that
the "flexibility" in PM Blair's statement on UK's
ratification process will allow Blair, at the next Council of
Ministers meeting, to announce that the referendum will go
forward for a vote sometime before the November 06 deadline.

Balkans


--------------------------





2. (C) Mattiolo indicated that Ministers would focus on
Bosnia during the Balkans session of the GAERC, specifically
the 16 priority areas identified in the EC feasibility study.
In addition ministers will address progress on OHR Ashdown's
programs on police reform. Mattiolo said that the Italian
position will be to highlight the positive general trends in
civil society institutions, but note that more progress is
needed on political and economic reforms for further Bosnian
integration into trans-Atlantic institutions. Italy will
also contribute to a positive assessment of the EUFOR mission
(Operation Althea)



3. (C) Mattiolo said that Ministers would also discuss
briefly Kosovo. Italy will underline the need to designate
clear guidelines and benchmarks as discussions on standards,
and eventually status, proceed.

Cuba


--------------------------





4. (C) Mattiolo said that it was important for the EU to
find common ground on a "tough" position regarding the human
rights situation in Cuba. Italy was already discussing the
issue with its EU partners in the COLAT, and would support a
"reaffirmation" in the GAERC conclusions of the June 2003
restrictive measures. Italy believes it is important for the
EU to underline with Havana that its common position is still
in force, and to reiterate that it wants to see progress on
specific human rights areas, such as release of political
prisoners, before enhanced engagement with the regime can
take place. Italy will also support including in the
conclusions a condemnation of restrictive measures against
local and foreign media, and visits of European lawmakers to
Cuba. MFA Director for Central America and the Caribbean
Paolo Miraglia expressed appreciation for points and
suggestions ref b, and confirmed that Italy is looking for
ways to encourage some of its more reluctant EU partners to
take a harder line on Cuba. He promised to review our
specific suggestions and incorporate our recommendations into
ongoing discussions in Brussels.

SEMBLER


NNNN
2005ROME01981 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL