ITALY OPEN TO MULTILATERAL CONFERENCE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002310

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2015
TAGS: OPDC PARM PBTS PHUM PREL PGOV MD IT EUN OSCE
SUBJECT: ITALY OPEN TO MULTILATERAL CONFERENCE ON
TRANSNISTRIA

REF: STATE 125824

Classified By: Labor Counselor Candace Putnam, for reasons 1.4 (B)(D).


(C) Labor Counselor delivered reftel points July 8 to Marco
Marsilli, MFA Director for Caucuses and Central Asia.
Marsilli said that Italy shares U.S. concern about the lack
of progress in resolving the Transnistria conflict and agrees
that the five-part talks have shown few results. He agreed
that U.S. and EU participation could provide the necessary
stimulus to move the process forward. MarsillI also said the
Italians were studying the Ukrainian proposal, which needs to
be fine-tuned but is a good basis for improving the
situation. The Moldovans, he believed, were not against the
Ukrainian plan in principle but seek guarantees that
elections can lead to the end of conflict, but not the start
of independence. The Russians, continued Marsilli, remain
problematic. The Russians almost convinced the Moldovan
president to accept their 2003 plan and remain unhappy with
the prospect of losing their sphere of influence in
Transnistria. Marsilli said he hoped that Italy would
support U.S. involvement in the process and was open to the
prospect of a multilateral conference.

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2005ROME02310 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL