Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ROME566
2007-03-22 15:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

ITALIAN MFA INSISTS NO CHANGE IN KOSOVO POLICY

Tags:  PREL PGOV UNSC YI SR IT 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHRO #0566 0811503
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 221503Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7466
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE IMMEDIATE 0302
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN IMMEDIATE 1737
RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA IMMEDIATE 0174
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 1357
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 4330
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE 2228
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE IMMEDIATE 2259
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN IMMEDIATE 8484
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES IMMEDIATE 2406
RUEHPS/USOFFICE PRISTINA IMMEDIATE 0385
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME IMMEDIATE 0082
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000566 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC YI SR IT
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA INSISTS NO CHANGE IN KOSOVO POLICY
AFTER PUTIN VISIT, DESPITE DECLARATION OF AGREEMENT WITH
RUSSIA

REF: A) SILVERMAN-ESCOBAR EMAIL 3/21/06 B) ROME 535

Classified By: Classified by Jonathan R. Cohen, Acting Political Minist
er Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000566

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC YI SR IT
SUBJECT: ITALIAN MFA INSISTS NO CHANGE IN KOSOVO POLICY
AFTER PUTIN VISIT, DESPITE DECLARATION OF AGREEMENT WITH
RUSSIA

REF: A) SILVERMAN-ESCOBAR EMAIL 3/21/06 B) ROME 535

Classified By: Classified by Jonathan R. Cohen, Acting Political Minist
er Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) On March 21 poloff contacted Raimondo De Cardona,
Director of the Balkans Office of the Italian MFA, to raise
concerns that Italian comments in the wake of the March 14
Putin visit to Italy were creating confusion among Contact
Group nations and UNSC members. Specifically, poloff raised
a report from Embassy Bratislava (ref a) that the Russians
had cited Italy as an example of EU disunity on the Ahtisaari
plan. Poloff added that public statements by PM Prodi
claiming identical Italian and Russian views on Kosovo and
private conversations with members of his staff (ref b) had
given us wondering about what Italy's true intent was both
within the Contact Group and at the UNSC.


2. (C/NF) De Cardona insisted that Italy's position on Kosovo
remained unchanged. Italy supports the work of UNOSEK
Ahtisaari and agrees that the issue should be moved to the
UNSC to set the conditions for supervised independence. He
added that the Secretary should have received that message in
Washington during her bilateral discussion with FM D'Alema on
March 19 and MFA Director General for European Affairs
Mirachian briefed EU ambassadors after the Putin visit with
the same message. De Cardona noted that while Italy has
tactical differences on how to proceed with a status
solution, Italy shares the same vision with the rest of the
Quint on Kosovo.


3. (C/NF) De Cardona was unaware that the Russian MFA had
issued a statement about identical Russian and Italian views
on Kosovo but insisted that this was part of a Russian
"disinformation" campaign intended to confuse undecided
members of the UNSC and EU. De Cardona stated that he would
recommend that their Embassy in Moscow get clarification on
the statement and correct any inaccuracies.
SPOGLI