AUSTRALIA GROUP: GOI EXPECTS TO SUPPORT USG

UNCLAS ROME 000456 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/CB ANDREW SOUZA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM ETTC CBW IT SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA GROUP: GOI EXPECTS TO SUPPORT USG PROPOSALS REGARDING THE ANIMAL PATHOGEN CONTROL LIST AND THE DUAL-USE BIOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT CONTROL LIST. REF: A. STATE 32895 ¶B. STATE 28363 ¶1. (U) On April 10, Econoff met with Carlo Tripepi, one of the Italian MFA officials responsible for Australia Group (AG) matters, to discuss the USG proposals to revise AG controls for cross (tangential) flow filtration (CFF) equipment (Ref A) and to revise the AG's definition for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (Ref B). Tripepi will head the GOI delegation to the April 14-18 AG plenary in Paris. Tripepi said the revisions proposed by the USG are "not controversial or problematic" and that the GOI will support the proposals provided there is not an EU common position opposing them. ¶2. (U) Tripepi said there will be five people in the GOI delegation to the Plenary: Tripepi, a licensing officer from the Ministry of Trade, a representative of the Ministry of Defense, and two representatives of the Italian intelligence community. The Italian delegation will not make any presentations, and does not have new information to add to the presentation on Libya that it gave at last year's AG plenary. In lieu of a presentation, the GOI delegation will circulate a short paper on revised Italian export licensing procedures. SPOGLI