Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ROME159
2008-02-05 15:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rome
Cable title:
BURMA: ITALY AGREES ADDED PRESSURE IS NECESSARY
how-toVZCZCXRO9888 PP RUEHAG RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHROV DE RUEHRO #0159 0361504 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 051504Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9802 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 0305 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1291 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0870 RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 0158 RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 0298 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0135 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0803 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1786 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 0512 RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE PRIORITY 0105 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1926 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0406 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0179 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG PRIORITY 0124 RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0094 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0851
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000159
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY AGREES ADDED PRESSURE IS NECESSARY
REF: STATE 5276
Classified By: A/Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000159
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY AGREES ADDED PRESSURE IS NECESSARY
REF: STATE 5276
Classified By: A/Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to MFA Southeast Asia
Office Director Alberto Vecchi February 4, shared USG
concerns over the Burmese regime's continued intransigence,
and suggested that it was time to ratchet up the pressure.
Poloff urged Italy to press other countries to ban the
importation of Burmese-origin hardwoods and gems, and
inquired about the status of implementation in Italy of the
European Council's October 2007 decision to ban investment
and trade with Burma in the mining and logging sectors.
Poloff also inquired about the possibility of new EU
financial sanctions.
2. (C) Vecchi said Italy is committed to maintaining pressure
on the Burmese regime, and that given the continued
repression of democracy advocates and ethnic minorities, the
international community's only choice was to continue to
increase the cost of the status quo by toughening sanctions.
Vecchi said that implementation of the Council's 2007
decision on Burmese gems and wood was not yet complete, but
said this was due to ordinary administrative and bureaucratic
delays, and not lack of political will.
3. (C) Vecchi agreed that targeting Burma's three
state-controlled banks permitted to conduct foreign exchange
transactions was a sensible next step, if an all-out EU ban
on the export of financial services was not possible. Vecchi
said he hoped to talk soon with EU Special Envoy for Burma
Piero Fassino about his recent travels in the region, to
gauge the willingness of Burma's neighbors to implement their
owns sanctions.
BORG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MLS AARON COPE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2018
TAGS: PREL ETRD PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: ITALY AGREES ADDED PRESSURE IS NECESSARY
REF: STATE 5276
Classified By: A/Pol M/C Jonathan R. Cohen, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.
1. (C) POLOFF delivered reftel demarche to MFA Southeast Asia
Office Director Alberto Vecchi February 4, shared USG
concerns over the Burmese regime's continued intransigence,
and suggested that it was time to ratchet up the pressure.
Poloff urged Italy to press other countries to ban the
importation of Burmese-origin hardwoods and gems, and
inquired about the status of implementation in Italy of the
European Council's October 2007 decision to ban investment
and trade with Burma in the mining and logging sectors.
Poloff also inquired about the possibility of new EU
financial sanctions.
2. (C) Vecchi said Italy is committed to maintaining pressure
on the Burmese regime, and that given the continued
repression of democracy advocates and ethnic minorities, the
international community's only choice was to continue to
increase the cost of the status quo by toughening sanctions.
Vecchi said that implementation of the Council's 2007
decision on Burmese gems and wood was not yet complete, but
said this was due to ordinary administrative and bureaucratic
delays, and not lack of political will.
3. (C) Vecchi agreed that targeting Burma's three
state-controlled banks permitted to conduct foreign exchange
transactions was a sensible next step, if an all-out EU ban
on the export of financial services was not possible. Vecchi
said he hoped to talk soon with EU Special Envoy for Burma
Piero Fassino about his recent travels in the region, to
gauge the willingness of Burma's neighbors to implement their
owns sanctions.
BORG