(S) AUSTRALIA GROUP: GOI RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON

S E C R E T ROME 002505 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/CB ANDREW SOUZA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2032 TAGS: PREL PARM ETTC SY IT SUBJECT: (S) AUSTRALIA GROUP: GOI RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON SYRIAN EFFORTS TO PROCURE CW-USEFUL CHEMICALS; QUESTIONS ON AG CHAIR'S REPORT ON RUSSIAN EXPORT CONTROLS REF: STATE 167512 Classified By: Economic Counselor William Meara for reasons 1.4 (B),(C ),(D),and (H) ¶1. (S) On December 21, Econcoff delivered reftel points on efforts by the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) to procure large quantities of chemicals useful in producing chemical weapons to Roberto Liotto, the Italian MFA official responsible for Italian participation in the Australia Group (AG). Liotto said he would pass the information in reftel to the GOI's inter-ministerial "Consultative Committee" which oversees the Italian export licensing system. Liotto confirmed the GOI can use the "catch-all" provisions of Italian export control laws to block the export to Syria of large quantities of chemicals which can be used to produce chemical weapons. ¶2. (S) Turning to a separate issue, Liotto asked if the USG has a formal response to the report on the Australia Group Chair's recent trip to Moscow. According to Liotto, the AG Chair went to Moscow to discuss Russian export controls and has issued a report on his trip. The Russian government has requested the AG hold a special plenary session to discuss the Chair's report. According to Liotto, the EU AG members will meet on January 17 to coordinate their response to the report. He said the GOI is opposed to an AG plenary dedicated to discussing the report, but that a devoting a portion of an already scheduled AG plenary would be worthwhile. Liotto will draft the GOI response to the AG Chair's Report by January 20, and asked for a readout of USG views on the Report prior to that date. SPOGLI