ITALY SUPPORTS U.S. CANDIDACY FOR PART I OF ICAO

UNCLAS ROME 001916 SIPDIS SIPDIS BRUSSELS PASS FAA FOR K EDWARDS STATE PASS EB/TRA/AN FOR M FINSTON, IO/T FOR L LUFTIG, EB/TRA/OTP M WALKER-TIGHE USICAO MONTREAL FOR L FAUX-GABLE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC EAIR ICAO PREL IT SUBJECT: ITALY SUPPORTS U.S. CANDIDACY FOR PART I OF ICAO COUNCIL REF: SECSTATE 115443 ¶1. THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 6. ¶2. SUMMARY: The Government of Italy (GOI) plans to support the United States's candidacy for re-election to Part I of the ICAO Council. Captain Silvio Manera will lead the Italian delegation to ICAO. The GOI has requested informal reciprocal U.S. support for Italy's candidacy in Part I of the Council. END SUMMARY ¶3. Emboffs met with Fabio Marchiandi, Head of the International Relations Office for ENAC (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority),regarding the U.S. candidacy for membership in Part I of the ICAO council. Marchiandi indicated that in internal discussions the GOI has decided to support the U.S. candidacy for Part I. He indicated that Captain Silvio Manera, Director General of ENAC, will lead the Italian delegation to the ICAO Assembly on September 18-28, 2007. Emilia Chiavarelli, ENAC's Director of Economic Regulations, will be his alternate. Other members of the Italian delegation will include Marchiandi himself, and Renata Cecchi, Head of ENAC's Environmental Protection Policy Office. ¶4. Emboffs also spoke with Stefano Nicoletti, Head of MFA's Office I, Directorate General of Multilateral Economic Cooperation, who echoed Marchiandi's statement on supporting the U.S. candidacy. Nicoletti confirmed Marchiandi's list of GOI attendees, and added that he might also be a part of the Italian delegation at ICAO. ¶5. Nicoletti mentioned that the Italian Embassy in Washington had spoken with the Department and requested U.S. support for Italy's candidacy. He noted that the U.S. had declined to articulate any support formally or informally for Italy. He asked if it was possible to obtain an informal indication on U.S. support for Italy. Emboffs replied that U.S. policy for multilateral organizations is not to formally reveal U.S. support for candidates in advance, or to enter into agreements for reciprocal support. ¶6. ACTION REQUEST: Nicoletti is an important Embassy contact, who has been a valuable interlocutor on many transportation issues for several years. It would be helpful to us if we were able to pass to Nicoletti some information on the likely USG position regarding the Italian ICAO candidacy. END ACTION REQUEST. SPOGLI