AMB. RICE MEETS WITH ITALIAN MFA'S SECRETARY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000440 SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (2ND CHANGED PARA 1) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL AORC KUNR US IT UNSC SUBJECT: AMB. RICE MEETS WITH ITALIAN MFA'S SECRETARY GENERAL ¶1. (SBU) Summary - In an April 28 meeting between Ambassador Rice and the Italian MFA's Secretary General Ambassador Giampiero Massolo, Ambassador Rice expressed her condolences for the recent earthquake devastation in Abruzzo, and agreed with Ambassador Massolo's request for continued and close cooperation between the U.S. and Italy on a wide range of UN issues. Ambassador Massolo thanked Ambassador Rice for her thoughts, and encouraged the United States to consider partnering with Italy on UN Security Council reform. - End Summary ¶2. (SBU) In his capacity as Italian Sherpa to the upcoming G8 summit in L'Aquila, Ambassador Massolo said that he was deeply invested in a G8 process that produced results, but was concerned that the current international system was inadequate to properly administer future global governance. Ambassador Massolo underlined Italy's preference for an expanded G8 that embodied a more structural relationship with emerging powers, as well as a 'more representative and effective' UN Security Council. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Rice responded, saying that while she remained open minded and appreciated Ambassador Massolo's position, the U.S. wasn't prepared to support or reject specific reform proposals at this early stage. Ambassador Rice continued, saying that in the context of a global financial crisis and the developing potential H1N1 flu pandemic, policy architecture reform remained something of a luxury. In response to Ambassador Massolo's assertion that, if anything, the economic crisis had brought the Security Council's role within the global governance system to the fore, Ambassador Rice said that the United States was committed to Security Council reform provided it did not diminish the Council's ability to effectively carry out its mandate. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Rice added that while the U.S. is no longer linking Security Council reform to other aspects of UN reform, the U.S. expected any new members to contribute concretely to the maintenance of international peace and security as outlined in the UN charter. Rice