AUSTRALIA GROUP: ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN PLENARY

S E C R E T ROME 001662

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/CB AND EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2031
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC AG IR IT
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA GROUP: ITALIAN PARTICIPATION IN PLENARY
INFORMATION EXCHANGE AND EXPERTS ENFORCEMENT MEETINGS

REF: A. STATE 70409

B. ROME 1194

C. ROME 933

Classified By: Acting Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs Richard B
oly, Reasons 1.4 B, D, and H


1. (S) A/EcMin delivered reftel talking points to Carlo
Tripepi, MFA DAS-equivalent official responsible for
Australia Group (AG) issues. Tripepi said that he will
attend the Australia Group Plenary in Paris, and that the
Italian delegation will come prepared to "speak, hear, and
discuss." Tripepi told us the GOI will give presentations on
Libyan and Iranian procurement networks in the information
exchange and enforcement experts sessions. The GOI will also
deliver a technical paper on animal pathogens. Tripepi noted
that because of the nature of the AG framework, "it is only
possible to share one-third of what we know," and noted the
USG and GOI continue to share AG-related information through
other channels.


2. (S) Tripepi said the GOI shares USG concerns about
Iranian attempts to obtain AG-controlled substances. "The
Institute Pasteur of Tehran is our first enemy," according to
Tripepi, and uses a network of front companies in its
attempts to purchase AG-controlled substances. When A/EcMin
asked if Tripepi knew of attempts by Iranian entities to
obtain biological products from Italian cosmetics or
pharmaceutical firms, he said the GOI had denied an export
license for the export of an unusually large quantity of
depilatory products. Tripepi noted requests to export
AG-controlled substances from Italy to Iran are almost
universally denied.


3. (C) On the issue of Russian efforts to join the AG,
Tripepi restated his position (refs B and C) that Russia is
not ready to join the AG because Russia does not satisfy the
criteria for membership. Tripepi said the GOR will not
submit an application to join "until they are guaranteed
admission" because the GOR does not want to run the risk of
having its application for membership rejected. Tripepi had
no comment on the reorganization of GOR ministries and its
effect on oversight of Russia's chemical and biological
weapons (CBW) facilities. In previous meetings, Tripepi
characterized oversight of Russian CBW facilities as
inadequate, and cited it as one of the reasons that Russia is
not yet ready for AG membership.
SPOGLI