Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ROME1023
2006-04-04 15:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALY: SLOW DOWN ON ID FOR GEORGIA

Tags:  MARR PREL GG IT NATO 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001023 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL GG IT NATO
SUBJECT: ITALY: SLOW DOWN ON ID FOR GEORGIA

REF: STATE 51994

Classified By: PolMinCouns David D. Pearce for Reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001023

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015
TAGS: MARR PREL GG IT NATO
SUBJECT: ITALY: SLOW DOWN ON ID FOR GEORGIA

REF: STATE 51994

Classified By: PolMinCouns David D. Pearce for Reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Responding to reftel demarche on April 4, MFA NATO
Office Head Gianni Bardini told polmiloff that Italy
considers it premature to invite Georgia into Intensified
Dialogue (ID) with NATO at the April 13 meeting between
Georgia and the Allies. Bardini said that, while Italy is
open to thinking about further forms of cooperation between
Georgia and NATO, including ID, any decision to bring Georgia
into ID should be preceded by discussion in the Political
Committee and then in the NAC. Those formal stages are
necessary, Bardini said, because entering into ID would
signify not just a technical, but a political upgrade of
Georgia's status in relation to NATO. Bardini added that a
NATO decision to increase cooperation with Georgia should be
set within the framework of a general review of Partnership
and a review of the instruments available to Partners.


2. (C) In an aside to polmiloff, Bardini speculated that, if
the Political Committee and the NAC managed to forward a
positive recommendation in time, the April 27-28 Sofia
ministerial might be a suitable occasion for inviting Georgia
into ID.


3. (C) Comment. Italy's perpetual concern with Georgia and
Ukraine in the NATO context is that their status might be
linked to that of the Adriatic Three, which Italy considers
immediate neighbors and judges to be many years closer to
qualifying for NATO membership. To the extent we can make it
clear that ID for Georgia will not bear on membership
prospects for the Adriatic Three, Italy will be more inclined
to work with us. End Comment.
SPOGLI