Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ROME318
2007-02-15 10:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
ITALY: ETHIOPIA-ERITREA AT AN IMPASSE, REGIONAL
how-toVZCZCXRO8605 PP RUEHFL RUEHNP DE RUEHRO #0318 0461019 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 151019Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7196 INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 0732 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 0527 RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0334 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1249 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1645 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0358 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 0240 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1349 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 4321 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0384 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2216 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 1324 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1881 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 2167 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 8355 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 2308 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0714 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 4483
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000318
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ER ET AF AL AU BE CH EU JA NO
TZ, UK, UNAUS, ECON, IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ETHIOPIA-ERITREA AT AN IMPASSE, REGIONAL
DISCUSSIONS COULD HELP
REF: A. STATE 14111
B. SCHOFIELD-DERETIC E-MAILS
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000318
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ER ET AF AL AU BE CH EU JA NO
TZ, UK, UNAUS, ECON, IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ETHIOPIA-ERITREA AT AN IMPASSE, REGIONAL
DISCUSSIONS COULD HELP
REF: A. STATE 14111
B. SCHOFIELD-DERETIC E-MAILS
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Poloff met with Horn of Africa Office Director
Fabrizio Pignatelli and Ethiopia-Eritrea Desk Officer Alberto
La Bella February 9 to discuss the role the GOI intends to
play in the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute, as per Ref A.
Pignatelli and La Bella reported that Italy sees the
situation as essentially frozen, with the two leaders
entrenched in their positions (Ref B). According to
Pignatelli, when Italian PM Prodi raised the issue with
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki his response was that the
issue was closed. Similarly, Ethiopian PM Meles repeated
Addis Ababa's standard line when PM Prodi suggested that a
goodwill gesture from Ethiopia expressing willingness to move
forward on the issue could be helpful.
2. (C) La Bella thought it might be possible to involve the
two parties in a regional dialogue, perhaps focusing on
regional economic cooperation. This was an idea the EU had
considered, and EU Commissioner for Development and Aid Louis
Michel had raised it in a recent trip to Djibouti. According
to Pignatelli, while Eritrea had repeatedly rejected the idea
of bilateral dialogue, Afwerki had said he was ready to
discuss everything but the boundary in a multilateral
context. Pignatelli suggested that an IGAD could be a useful
forum. The appointment of a new UN Special Representative
might also be helpful, Pignatelli added, since Eritrea viewed
the process by which the current acting representative was
appointed to be problematic. Pignatelli noted that the GOI
had also supported a new role for the UN Secretary General,
now that Kofi Annan's mandate had ended (though Eritrea's
general bias against UN involvement would have to be
overcome).
SPOGLI
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ER ET AF AL AU BE CH EU JA NO
TZ, UK, UNAUS, ECON, IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: ETHIOPIA-ERITREA AT AN IMPASSE, REGIONAL
DISCUSSIONS COULD HELP
REF: A. STATE 14111
B. SCHOFIELD-DERETIC E-MAILS
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David D. Pearce for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Poloff met with Horn of Africa Office Director
Fabrizio Pignatelli and Ethiopia-Eritrea Desk Officer Alberto
La Bella February 9 to discuss the role the GOI intends to
play in the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute, as per Ref A.
Pignatelli and La Bella reported that Italy sees the
situation as essentially frozen, with the two leaders
entrenched in their positions (Ref B). According to
Pignatelli, when Italian PM Prodi raised the issue with
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki his response was that the
issue was closed. Similarly, Ethiopian PM Meles repeated
Addis Ababa's standard line when PM Prodi suggested that a
goodwill gesture from Ethiopia expressing willingness to move
forward on the issue could be helpful.
2. (C) La Bella thought it might be possible to involve the
two parties in a regional dialogue, perhaps focusing on
regional economic cooperation. This was an idea the EU had
considered, and EU Commissioner for Development and Aid Louis
Michel had raised it in a recent trip to Djibouti. According
to Pignatelli, while Eritrea had repeatedly rejected the idea
of bilateral dialogue, Afwerki had said he was ready to
discuss everything but the boundary in a multilateral
context. Pignatelli suggested that an IGAD could be a useful
forum. The appointment of a new UN Special Representative
might also be helpful, Pignatelli added, since Eritrea viewed
the process by which the current acting representative was
appointed to be problematic. Pignatelli noted that the GOI
had also supported a new role for the UN Secretary General,
now that Kofi Annan's mandate had ended (though Eritrea's
general bias against UN involvement would have to be
overcome).
SPOGLI