ITALY AT NAM SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002593 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM PINS KPKO UNSC KDEM PGOV SU CU IT SUBJECT: ITALY AT NAM SUMMIT REF: A. STATE 151212 ¶B. YOUNG/DERETIC E-MAILS Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Italy's observer to the NAM Summit in Havana, Sebastiano Cardi, a minister in the MFA Directorate General for Political Affairs, will be in Cuba for several days, beginning September 12. In light of the Italian presence at the meeting, Poloff spoke with Alessandro Busacca, a minister in the Political Affairs DG, September 13 to request that Italy lobby NAM attendees on behalf of several shared goals. ¶1. (C) Poloff asked Italy to encourage NAM delegates to support the transition from an African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur to a UN mission (Ref A); to avoid one-sided statements on the Middle East and focus on supporting a negotiated settlement; and to stress the right of the Cuban people to free and fair elections, with OAS and UN assistance (Ref B). Poloff also reiterated Assistant Secretary Silverberg's September 8 message to Giulio Terzi, Director General for Political Affairs, urging Italy to help prevent a NAM Summit position supporting Venezuela's UNSC candidacy. Busacca noted the importance of the issues, and said he would pass the points to Cardi, but stressed it would not be easy to convince the NAM countries, especially from the position of an observer. SPOGLI