Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ROME2132
2007-10-04 16:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALY: PM PRODI SAYS HE'S WITH US ON IRAN, SEEKS

Tags:  PREL UNGA UNSC NATO IT 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9189
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RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 2689
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 9016
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 2828
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002132 

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NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017
TAGS: PREL UNGA UNSC NATO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: PM PRODI SAYS HE'S WITH US ON IRAN, SEEKS
FASTER AFGHAN SECURITY TRANSITION, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MEPP,
CALLS MEM VERY HELPFUL

ROME 00002132 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR RONALD SPOGLI, REASONS 1.4 B AND D.

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SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002132

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2017
TAGS: PREL UNGA UNSC NATO IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: PM PRODI SAYS HE'S WITH US ON IRAN, SEEKS
FASTER AFGHAN SECURITY TRANSITION, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MEPP,
CALLS MEM VERY HELPFUL

ROME 00002132 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR RONALD SPOGLI, REASONS 1.4 B AND D.

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SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C/NF) The Ambassador met PM Prodi October 1 and discussed
the risks of Italian engagement with Iran and Syria, the need
for a broad EU consensus on Kosovo, and developments in
Afghanistan, as well as the November Middle East conference,
and Italian support for the UN Sudan mission, UNSC action on
Burma, and the Major Economies Meeting. End Summary.

-------------- --------------
Iran - Ambassador Admonishes Italians for Unhelpful Engagement
-------------- --------------


2. (C/NF) The Ambassador called on PM Prodi October 3 to run
through the our post-UNGA foreign policy agenda. He stressed
that the USG was displeased with the fact that Prodi sent his
National Security Advisor-equivalent Stefano Sannino to
Tehran the week before the UNGA. That kind of engagement
with Iran was not helpful now. The Ambassador raised press
reports from earlier in the day quoting Prodi on the
importance of dialogue, and suggesting that negotiations with
Iran had been opened and that sanctions should take a back
seat to such talks.


3. (C/NF) Prodi insisted to the Ambassador that there were no
differences in our objectives concerning Iran, just some
small differences in tactics, and asserted that Italy
believed in sanctions. Prodi said Italy was not trying to
open a "fourth way" (in addition to the UNSC, P-5-plus-1 and
IAEA tracks),but did believe that it was also important to
keep open dialogue with Iran. The Ambassador stressed that
the more Italy or others talked to Iran and the more Iran saw
slight differences between members of the international
community, the more Tehran would believe that it was
succeeding in breaking apart the single international
approach to ending the Iranian nuclear weapons program. PM
Prodi emotionally repeated, "We have no differences. It is
us who are taking the economic hits from sanctions. It is us

who are seeing a downturn in our trade. It is us who are
closing Iranian banks." Prodi also noted that Ahmedinejad
had asked for a meeting with him at the UNGA, but Prodi had
refused, telling the Iranians that they must first do
something concrete and positive to warrant a meeting. He
underscored that Italy was not operating outside the confines
of the international community on Iran.

--------------
Syria
--------------


4. (C/NF) The Ambassador told Prodi that we hold the same
concerns for Italian dialogue with Syria, which we also
think is a mistake. The Syrians get the world stage and a
chance for dialogue with a UNSC member without having done
anything to deserve it. And as far as we can tell, without
doing anything after the fact in return.

-------------- --------------
Burma - Italy Looking for Action from Regional Powers
-------------- --------------


5. (C/NF) On Burma, the Ambassador told Prodi that the U.S.
appreciated Italy's statements condemning the violent
crackdown and hoped Italy would support strong action in the
UNSC. Prodi replied that while it would continue to be
important to express indignation about what had and was
taking place in Burma, it would ultimately be up to China,
India and other key states in the region to do something
concrete to change things. He reported that the Italian
Ambassador in Rangoon was pessimistic about prospects for
change.

--------------
Kosovo - Prodi to Work for Broad EU Consensus
--------------


6. (C/NF) The Ambassador noted that we all needed to prepare

ROME 00002132 002.2 OF 002


for the very serious possibility of a unilateral declaration
of independence (UDI) without a UNSC resolution on Kosovo and
that the U.S. counted on Italy as an EU member to work with
us to achieve the broadest possible consensus. Prodi agreed.
In a conversation later in the day, NSA-equivalent Sannino
told the Ambassador that Italy had concerns about support in
the EU from Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Spain and a few others.
He then said that in the EU, only Slovenia and Italy really
cared what happened to Serbia, and that Italy was encouraging
the Serbs to find positive reasons to cooperate. He stressed
that Italy would work hard to find a legal basis to maintain
an international presence on the ground.

-------------- ---
Afghanistan - Italy Wants Faster Afghan Takeover
-------------- ---


7. (C/NF) The Ambassador offered condolences for the Italian
military intelligence officer who was mortally wounded while
being rescued from his kidnappers in late September (he
passed away today, October 4),and underscored that the U.S.
appreciated the plus-up in Italian troops there as Italy gets
ready to take over command of ISAF HQ in Kabul. Prodi told
the Ambassador that he believed the process by which the
Afghans take over their own security arrangements must be
speeded up. The Ambassador replied that Italian training
contributions would, to some extent, be a key to making that
possible.

--------------
MEPP
--------------


8. (C/NF) Prodi said that he believed in the Olmert-Abbas
dialogue and that Italy was encouraging broad regional
participation at the November conference. He also took note
of Barghouti's recent comments in support of Fatah, which he
took as a positive sign.

--------------
Sudan/Korea
--------------


9. (C/NF) Prodi also said that Italy was working on making a
40 million Euro contribution to the African Peace Facility
and would be providing air transport to the UNAMID mission
for Sudan. Prodi called the apparent breakthrough in Korea a
positive step and offered kudos to U.S. diplomacy for helping
bring it about.

--------------
MEM- Very Helpful
--------------


10. (C/NF) Finally, Prodi told the Ambassador he believed the
Major Economies Meeting had served to mobilize consciousness,
which was very helpful, although there were few concrete
achievements. He said he could imagine follow-up activities
after the Bali meeting. It had, he added, been critical to
bring in major economies that had not participated previously
in such discussions.
SPOGLI