ITALIAN AMBASSADOR SEEKS UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000067 SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/UNESCO E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019 TAGS: PREL SCUL UNESCO CA IT SUBJECT: ITALIAN AMBASSADOR SEEKS UNESCO DIRECTOR GENERAL JOB REF: A. SCHRANK/BROWN 1/21 E-MAIL ¶B. SCHRANK/LEAF 1/21 EMAIL Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Terry Breese, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Italian Ambassador to Canada Gabriele Sardo met with Charge d'Affaires on January 21 to sound out the U.S. response to himself as a candidate for Director-General of UNESCO. Ambassador Sardo, who noted he had served as Italy's Ambassador to UNESCO from 1998 to 2002 and as First Counselor at the Italian Embassy in Washington from 1984 to 1991, stated that he had discussed his candidacy with PM Berlusconi. He claimed that the PM was supportive and had asked him to sound out like-minded countries. He also said that Berlusconi had promised to contact French President Sarkozy about French support, and that the French commitment to an Egyptian candidate was apparently reversible. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Sardo added that he wanted to continue Director-General Matsuura's work and that he shared the U.S. vision of reform. He said that he had already contacted the Canadian government, which he described as a powerful player at UNESCO. He claimed that Japan would also support an Italian candidate (though he did not say Japan would support him). Ambassador Sardo noted that he would be pleased to travel to Washington to meet with any U.S. officials interested in learning more about him and his ideas for UNESCO reform. ¶3. (C) Charge thanked Ambassador Sardo for his initiative, and promised to share their conversation with relevant USG officials. ¶4. (C) Action request: Ambassador Sardo requested that a U.S. response to his potential candidacy go directly to Under-Secretary Gianni Letta in the Prime Minister's Office in Rome. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE