This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2014 
TAGS: PREL PINR IR IZ UK IT ITALIAN POLITICS
SUBJECT: ITALIAN ROLE IN RELEASE OF BRITISH MILITARY 
PERSONNEL FROM IRAN; LOOKING FOR PAYBACK IN LONDON 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: A/POLMIN PAULA THIEDE. REASON:1.5 (B)(D). 
 
    ¶1. (C) UK EMBASSY POLCOUNS FRANCIS CAMPBELL TOLD POLOFF ON 
JUNE 24 THAT ITALY PLAYED A "VERY HELPFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE 
ROLE" IN SECURING THE RELEASE OF THE EIGHT UK MILITARY 
PERSONNEL HELD BY IRAN.  TELEPHONE CALLS BETWEEN PM BLAIR'S 
FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR NIGEL SCHIENWALD AND PM BERLUSCONI'S 
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR GIANNI CASTELLANETA PUT THE 
ITALIANS IN MOTION. 
 
¶2. (C)  ACCORDING TO CAMPBELL, HMG DECIDED THAT IT WAS WORTH 
CASHING IN ON THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT'S RELATIVELY STRONG AND 
AMICABLE RELATIONS WITH TEHERAN.  IN ADDITION TO CURRENT 
AMBASSADOR TO IRAN ROBERTO TOSCANO, ITALY USED FORMER 
AMBASSADOR IN TEHRAN AND CURRENT MIDDLE EAST BUREAU DIRECTOR 
GENERAL SESSA, AS WELL AS IRAN DESK OFFICER AND FORMER 
POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF IN TEHRAN FEDERICA FERRARI-BRAVO, TO 
CONVINCE THEIR STILL STRONG CONTACTS WITHIN THE IRAN 
GOVERNMENT THAT RELEASING THE SERVICEMEN SOON AND UNHARMED 
WAS IN IRAN'S BEST LONG-TERM INTERESTS.  CAMPBELL SAID THAT 
SESSA ALSO CALLED IN THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR IN ROME. 
CAMPBELL WAS NOT SPECIFIC ON WHAT AGENCIES OR INDIVIDUALS THE 
ITALIANS CONTACTED IN TEHERAN. 
 
¶3. (C) NOW THE PAYBACK.  ON JULY 13, PM BERLUSCONI PLUS FIVE 
OF HIS TOP MINISTERS (FOREIGN, INTERIOR, EDUCATION, FINANCE, 
DEFENSE) TRAVEL TO LONDON FOR A BILATERAL SUMMIT.  THE DAY 
WILL CONSIST OF A MORNING PLENARY, LUNCH, AND THEN BREAKOUTS 
WITH MINISTERS MEETING THEIR COUNTERPARTS AND BLAIR AND 
BERLUSCONI MEETING IN A SMALL, POSSIBLY ONE-ON-ONE, GROUP. 
CAMPBELL HAS HEARD FROM HIS ITALIAN INTERLOCUTORS THAT 
BERLUSCONI WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ITALY'S PLACE IN THE EU 
PECKING ORDER NOW THAT THE EU CONSTITUTION HAS BEEN AGREED, 
    AND FORMAL MECHANISMS ALLOWING SMALLER GROUPINGS OF MEMBER 
STATES TO PUSH INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED. 
CAMPBELL AVERRED THAT BERLUSCONI WILL BE LOOKING FOR BLAIR'S 
SUPPORT IN LAUNCHING ITALY INTO A "EU-4" CLUB OF EU LEADERS. 
 
¶4. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
VISIT ROME'S CLASSIFIED WEBSITE: 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/EUR/ROME/INDEX.CF M 
 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2004ROME02467 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL