Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME1019
2008-08-11 17:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
BURMA: ITALY HESITANT ON FURTHER EU SANCTIONS
how-toVZCZCXRO8026 OO RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV DE RUEHRO #1019 2241710 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 111710Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0753 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 1309 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 0880 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 0816 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO IMMEDIATE 0412 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 1814 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL IMMEDIATE 0521 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 1944 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 0185
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001019
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS LAURA SCHEIBE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2018
TAGS: PGOV ETRD BM IT
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY HESITANT ON FURTHER EU SANCTIONS
REF: STATE 83719
Classified By: A/Pol M/C Gabriel Escobar for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
(C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche on new U.S. sanctions on
Burma to MFA Acting Southeast Asia Office Director Samuela
Isoppi August 11. Isoppi said she had read about the
expansion of U.S. sanctions to include a prohibition on the
indirect importation of Burmese jade and rubies. She said
she did not expect there to be agreement within the EU for a
near-term tightening of the EU's Burma sanctions. Italy has
focused on humanitarian assistance to Burma in the aftermath
of cyclone Nargis, and while some EU member states think it
is time to refocus on the political situation, Italy believes
that any additional sanctions should be accompanied by
"positive political measures." Isoppi said EU Special Envoy
for Burma Piero Fassino (whose offices are at the MFA and
with whom the MFA consults regularly) does not support a
broadening of EU sanctions at this time. Isoppi said it
would be important to see the results of UN Special Envoy
Ibrahim Gambari's upcoming trip to BurmQ
SPOGLI