VZCZCXRO4386
PP RUEHFL RUEHNP
DE RUEHRO #0726 1611152
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 091152Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0438
INFO RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 3074
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 9416
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 3223

S E C R E T ROME 000726 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2023 
TAGS: PREL NATO ETRD IT
SUBJECT: ITALY: PM BERLUSCONI IN BROAD AGREEMENT ON KEY 
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald P. Spogli for reasons 1.4 (b) a...


E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2023 
TAGS: PREL NATO ETRD IT

¶1. (C/NF) The Ambassador met June 6 with PM Silvio Berlusconi 
and U/S Gianni Letta to frame issues President Bush may 
discuss with Berlusconi during their June 12 bilateral 
meeting in Rome.  Berlusconi said he saw no problematic 
issues in the U.S.-Italian relationship.  In office for less 
than one month, Berlusconi indicated his government's 
thinking on several matters was still evolving. 

¶2. (C/NF) The Ambassador said the President may discuss 
lifting caveats in Afghanistan, increasing pressure on Iran, 
Italian energy security, and Lebanon.  Independently, 
Berlusconi raised GMOs, which he described as "the only way 
to feed the world," noting that the current situation had 
reinforced his support for GMOs. 
 
¶3. (S/NF) Afghanistan: The Ambassador thanked Berlusconi for 
Italy's commitments in Afghanistan and urged Berlusconi to 
lift caveats, especially geographic ones limiting freedom of 
movement.  The Ambassador noted these prevented Italian 
Carabinieri from providing on-site training and mentoring to 
Afghan police.  Letta said the GOI was committed to 
increasing operational flexibility for Italian soldiers 
deployed to Afghanistan and was working on how it would do 
that.  The Ambassador also told Berlusconi that we continue 
to receive disturbing reports of Italians paying-off local 
warlords and other combatants.  Berlusconi agreed this should 
stop. 

¶4. (C/NF) Iran: The Ambassador complimented Berlusconi for 
the recent tough tone his government has taken on Iran and 
said the President would want to discuss how to increase 
pressure on the Iranian regime.  Berlusconi called 
Ahmadinejad a "crazy nut" who must be isolated and asked how 
his government should respond to Italian companies asking 
about doing business in Iran.  The Ambassador replied firmly, 
no new investments. 
 
¶5. (C/NF) Energy Security: The Ambassador told Berlusconi the 
President was keenly interested in energy security and 
praised favorably recent positions taken by government 
figures in support of nuclear power generation. He added that 
while we are not anti-Russia, Europe's (including Italy's) 
over-reliance on Russia for its energy needs was a serious 
concern.  Berlusconi agreed, saying his government will 
pursue several avenues toward energy diversification while 
noting that Italy's energy dependence required strong 
relations with Russia. 
 
¶6. (C/NF) Lebanon: The Ambassador told Berlusconi the 
President would likely be interested in his views on Lebanon 
and UNIFIL.  Letta responded that the government was still 
reviewing its thinking on Lebanon. 

¶7. (C/NF) COMMENT: Berlusconi is very much looking forward to 
the President's visit, sees himself and Italy as being on the 
same page as the U.S., virtually across the board, and will 
be ready to discuss all of the above issues with POTUS on 
June 12. 
SPOGLI