ITALY: UNGA COUNTRY SPECIFIC AND CUBA EMBARGO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003032 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREL KTIA UNGA UN CU IT SUBJECT: ITALY: UNGA COUNTRY SPECIFIC AND CUBA EMBARGO RESOLUTIONS REF: A. STATE 182267 ¶B. STATE 182099 Classified By: Acting Political Minister-Counselor Jonathan R. Cohen fo r reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Poloff met with MFA Human Rights Office Director Laura Carpini November 6 to deliver Ref A demarche requesting Italian support on UNGA country specific human rights resolutions for Belarus and Uzbekistan. Carpini reported that Italy had decided November 3 to co-sponsor the U.S.-sponsored resolution on Uzbekistan. With the addition of the this co-sponsorship, Carpini noted that Italy (or the EU) was now co-sponsoring resolutions on Uzbekistan, Belarus, Iran, Burma, and North Korea. Although she was not sure if the EU would also co-sponsor the Uzbekistan resolution, Carpini said a decision from Brussels would mostly likely come November 8. ¶2. (C) Poloff also delivered Ref B demarche to Carpini November 6 and to MFA Office Director for Central America and the Caribbean Paolo Miraglia November 3, noting that this year there would be no Commission on Human Rights resolution on Cuba, leaving the CUBA Embargo vote as the only opportunity to express concern about the human rights situation on the island. Poloff urged Italy to consider its position on the embargo resolution in this light. Carpini and Miraglia said that Italy would vote with the EU in favor of the resolution and would provide what Carpini called a robust Explanation of Vote, voicing EU concerns about the human rights situation in Cuba. SPOGLI