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Viewing cable 02ROME5599, DELIVERY OF PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO PM BERLUSCONI

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
02ROME5599 2002-11-18 16:15 2011-08-30 01:44 SECRET Embassy Rome
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T ROME 005599 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2012 
TAGS: PREL IT EUN ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: DELIVERY OF PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO PM BERLUSCONI 
 
REF: WHITE HOUSE 150626ZNOV02 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION EMIL SKODON, REASON 1.5 (D) 
 
1. (S) AMBASSADOR, ACCOMPANIED BY DCM, MET WITH PM BERLUSCONI 
AT CIAMPINO AIRPORT LATE EVENING OF 15 NOVEMBER TO DELIVER 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S MESSAGE ON THE PRAGUE NATO SUMMIT AND TO 
DISCUSS OTHER ISSUES (SEPTEL).  BERLUSCONI WAS MAKING A SHORT 
                          SECRET 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  05599  182359Z 
TRANSIT STOP AT CIAMPINO ON THE WAY TO HIS HOME IN SARDINIA 
FROM AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO SKOPJE.  BERLUSCONI'S DIPLOMATIC 
ADVISOR CASTELLANETA AND CHIEF OF STAFF VALENTINI WERE ALSO 
PRESENT. 
 
2. (S) BERLUSCONI DESCRIBED THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO 
SUPPORT THE NATO CANDIDACY OF SEVEN ASPIRANT COUNTRIES AS 
"GOOD NEWS," AND SAID HE WAS IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT. 
REFERRING TO THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN INITIATIVE SUMMIT FROM 
WHICH HE HAD JUST COME, BERLUSCONI OBSERVED THAT ALL OF THE 
NON-NATO COUNTRIES AT THE SUMMIT WANTED TO BE IN NATO 
SOMEDAY.  IT WAS CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT IT WOULD BE A LONG ROAD 
FOR MANY, SUCH AS MACEDONIA, GIVEN THEIR LOW LEVEL OF 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.  BERLUSCONI ALSO PICKED UP ON (AND 
APPRECIATED) THAT PORTION OF THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER WHICH 
COMMENDED HIM FOR REJECTING PROPOSED CUTS IN GOI DEFENSE 
SPENDING, COMMENTING THAT HE WANTED TO INCREASE DEFENSE 
SPENDING LEVELS IF HE COULD, NOT JUST MAINTAIN THEM. 
 
3. (S) AMBASSADOR BRIEFED DEFMIN MARTINO ON CONTENTS OF THE 
PRESIDENT'S LETTER THE FOLLOWING DAY, SATURDAY THE 16TH, IN A 
CONVERSATION AT THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE.  DCM WAS ALSO 
PRESENT.  MARTINO WELCOMED THE NEWS OF THE PRESIDENT'S 
DECISION ON THE SEVEN ASPIRANT COUNTRIES.  REGARDING DEFENSE 
SPENDING LEVELS, MARTINO SAID HE HAD FOUGHT HARD AGAINST 
PROPOSED DEFENSE CUTS IN THIS YEAR'S GOI BUDGET SUBMISSION, 
AND HE WOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR INCREASED SPENDING OVER THE 
NEXT FIVE YEARS TO MEET NATO CAPABILITY COMMITMENTS. 
 
4. (S) THE DEFMIN NOTED THAT HE HAD AGREED TO FOUR OF THE 
FIVE SPECIFIC CAPABILITY PRIORITIES FOR ITALY PROPOSED BY 
                          SECRET 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  05599  182359Z 
LORD ROBERTSON, BUT COULD NOT SIGN UP TO THE GOI SPENDING 
MORE ON STRATEGIC AIRLIFT SINCE CURRENT GOI ASSETS (PRIMARILY 
C-130J'S) WERE SUFFICIENT.  IN FACT, MARTINO SAID, STRATEGIC 
LIFT WAS ABOUT THE ONLY AREA WHERE THE MOD DID NOT NEED TO 
SPEND MORE.  WHEN MORE LIFT ASSETS WERE NEEDED, THE GOI COULD 
RENT ANTONOV'S AS IT HAD IN THE PAST.  MARTINO OBSERVED THAT 
IF YOU ONLY USE A CAR A FEW TIMES A YEAR, IT MAKES SENSE TO 
RENT INSTEAD OF TO BUY; AS FAR AS HE WAS CONCERNED, THE SAME 
PRINCIPLE APPLIED TO ADDITIONAL AIRLIFT ASSETS.  NOTING THAT 
GERMAN CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER WAS SEEKING TO SPEAK WITH PM 
BERLUSCONI ABOUT NATO CAPABILITIES, MARTINO SHARED HIS 
SUSPICION THAT SCHROEDER INTENDED TO PUSH BERLUSCONI TO 
REVERSE THE GOI DECISION NOT TO BUY A-400'S, IN ORDER TO TAKE 
THE PRESSURE OFF GERMANY TO PURCHASE MORE.  MARTINO WONDERED 
ALOUD IF SAVING THE A-400 PROGRAM MIGHT BE THE REAL MOTIVE 
BEHIND LORD ROBERTSON'S PITCH TO THE GOI TO ACQUIRE MORE 
AIRLIFT CAPABILITY. 
SKODON 
 
                          SECRET 
 
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 2002ROME05599 - Classification: SECRET