BURMA: ITALY WELCOMES UNSC MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002113 SIPDIS SIPDIS EAP/MLS AARON COPE E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM BM IT SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY WELCOMES UNSC MEETING REF: SECSTATE 137644 Classified By: A/Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (C) Summary: S/P Gordon raised the violent crackdown in Burma with Italian PolDir Terzi October 1. Terzi said Italy's position was in perfect alignment with that of the U.S., that Italy supported UNSC action on Burma and that he would instruct Italy's PermRep in New York to be in touch with Amb. Khalilzad on this issue. End Summary. ¶2. (C) While in Rome for meetings with senior Italian government officials October 1, S/P David Gordon delivered reftel demarche to MFA Director General for Political and Multilateral Affairs Giulio Terzi. Gordon expressed appreciation for PM Prodi's recent remarks condemning the Burmese military junta's violent crackdown against peaceful demonstrators and urged Italy to maintain pressure against Burma and its financial supporters. Gordon also asked for Italian cooperation in making the UN Security Council the center of action on Burma. ¶3. (C) Terzi welcomed the demarche, saying the U.S. and Italian positions were "perfectly in line" before the crackdown and remain so now. The joint U.S.-EU statement in New York was important, Terzi said, because it showed "unanimity of intent" throughout the Transatlantic Community. Terzi noted that 55 countries have expressed support for the UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning the violent government response and said he hoped the October 2 special session of the UNHRC would lead to more effective action in the UNSC. ¶4. (C) The Italian Embassy in Beijing has raised Burma with the Chinese government, and Terzi said he sensed that the PRC is not entirely closed to international concerns, but when asked what steps China was taking to exert pressure on the junta or even who in the regime China had raised this with, the Chinese provided no answer. Terzi admitted he was surprised that the Russian position remained inflexible, but thought it was worth making another attempt in New York to bring the Russians around to UNSC action. ¶5. (C) Terzi agreed on the need for a UNSC meeting upon UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's return from Burma, and said "we should insist on it." He said it would be unprecedented for a UN envoy not to brief the Council after returning from such an official mission, and that a Gambari briefing might be the best way to pave the road for further UNSC action. Terzi said he would instruct the Italian PermRep in New York to be in touch with Ambassador Khalilzad on next steps. ¶6. (U) S/P David Gordon cleared this message. SPOGLI