ICAO: ITALY "POSITIVE" ON VOSS CANDIDACY

UNCLAS ROME 000339

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

IO/T L TOBEY
EB/TRA/OTP MATTINGLEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR PREL IT AVIATION FAA
SUBJECT: ICAO: ITALY "POSITIVE" ON VOSS CANDIDACY

REF: SECSTATE 11373

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to Roberto
Pietrosanto and Stefano Nicoletti, two office-director-level
officials in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Directorate for Multilateral Economic and Financial
Cooperation. Both said the GOI would not make a final
decision on who to vote for as ICAO Secretary General until
receiving feedback on the candidates' interviews with the
ICAO Council. Pietrosanto, however, said that the GOI was
"very positive" about William Voss. Pietrosanto, while not
explicitly suggesting a vote swap, stated that the GOI hoped
to receive USG support in its campaign to win a seat on
ICAO's Air Navigation Committee.


2. (U) Econoff also spoke with Emilia Chiavarelli, Director
for Economic Regulation at ENAC (Italy's FAA equivalent),a
part of the Ministry of Transportation. Chiavarelli did not
offer a response, other than to say she would confer with
colleagues in other EU member states.


3. (U) Comment: We believe this decision lies with both
Italy's Ministry of Transportation/ENAC and the MFA. The
Embassy will continue to press for Voss at high levels.
Ambassador Spogli is sending letters to Transport Minister
Pietro Lunardi and ENAC President Vito Riggio. Furthermore,
FAA Senior Representative Kurt Edwards will visit Italy
February 9-10 for additional meetings on ICAO. End comment.
SPOGLI