ITALY TAKES A WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH ON U.S.-INDIA

UNCLAS ROME 000727 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ENRG KSCA PARM KNNP ETTC IN IT SUBJECT: ITALY TAKES A WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH ON U.S.-INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR COOPERATION REF: STATE 34761 ¶1. (U) SciCouns and EconOff delivered reftel talking points to Filippo Formica, head of the MFA's Arms Control and Disarmament Office in the MFA's Directorate General for Multilateral Political Affairs and Human Rights. Formica said the GOI does not have a final position on supporting the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative, and is not in a position now to make a statement supporting the initiative publicly. Italy will not formulate a position on the Initiative until briefed at the March 22-23 meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Consultative Group, and after consultations with other EU Member States. In the meantime, the GOI is "open to proposals at the NSG." ¶2. (U) Formica noted that India made important commitments during President Bush's February trip to New Delhi, and would like to know how and when India is going to fulfill them. He noted that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) must continue to be "the cornerstone of all non-proliferation efforts," that the GOI remains committed to the entry into force of the Conventional Test Ban Treaty (CTBT),and that the Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) must continue to be a priority at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. ¶3. (U) Comment: Formica is especially interested in the timetable for implementation of USG and GOI obligations undertaken under the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative. Having been assigned to Italy's Embassy in Washington, Formica is keenly aware of the role that congressional action will play in implementation of the Initiative, and said he will watch congressional actions closely. Based on our conversation with Formica, it is clear that NSG Consultative meeting briefings later this month will be important in determining the GOI's ultimate position on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative. End comment. SPOGLI