ITALY: IRAQ COMPACT UN INTERIM MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000509 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/I-ASSIST, KEVIN TAECKER TREASURY FOR DEPSEC KIMMETT, VICKI ALVO E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2017 TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN EINV PGOV PREL IZ IT SUBJECT: ITALY: IRAQ COMPACT UN INTERIM MEETING PARTICIPATION REF: STATE 29448 Classified By: Classified by EcMin Tom Delare for reason 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (SBU) Contacts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs report that Deputy Foreign Minister Ugo Intini and Ambassador Gian Ludovico De Martino, Head of the MFA Iraq Task Force and former Italian Ambassador in Baghdad, will attend the March 16 meeting in New York on the International Compact with Iraq. Ambassador De Martino is scheduled to arrive in NYC the evening of March 14. ¶2. (C) According to De Martino's number two, Stefano Stucci, the Ambassador early on would appreciate the opportunity for a discussion with Deputy Secretary Kimmett. Some of the questions he wants to raise, such as a venue for the high level conference, will naturally come up for discussion in New York. However, De Martino also wants to raise his view that Iraq needs to commit more strongly toward diversification of its economy. When the EcMin noted that PM Maliki had made a notable set of statements in that direction during his debut speech on economic issues last July, Stucci replied that more action was required. Stucci also acknowledged that "we all know" the problems with political integration and security, but claimed that not enough practical commitment by the Iraqi government in either area was yet visible. With more effort, Stucci averred that a large part of the disaffected population could be "won back to political dialog." ¶3. (C) Note: Ambassador De Martino is a thoughtful interlocutor who may already be known to the Deputy Secretary. Embassy recommends that Mr. Kimmett meet with SIPDIS him. The Ambassador's support for economic diversification and privatization of the Iraqi economy fit well with our own views. Moreover, given the frequent need of the current left of center Italian government to placate its radical fringe, a constructive dialog with their representative along lines helpful to our interests would be broadly useful. End Note. SPOGLI