VZCZCXRO3928
PP RUEHFL RUEHNP
DE RUEHRO #0141/01 0361556
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051556Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1556
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1557
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2514
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1895
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1865
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 4503
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1975
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 4739
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN 9799
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 3591
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 3418
RUEAEPA/HQEPA WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000141 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E STAFF FOR AMY WESTLING 
P STAFF FOR DAVID VAN CLEVE 
EEB/EPPD FOR SANDRA CLARK 
NSC FOR PAUL BROWN AND MICHAEL SMART 
A/EX/PTS FOR CHRIS SZYMANSKY 
OES/EGC FOR WENDY MOORE AND DREW NELSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KGHG SENV ENRG OTRA IT
SUBJECT: ITALIAN G8 OUTREACH APPROACH CLARIFIED; SOUS SHERPA 
REQUESTS CALL WITH CLIMATE ENVOY 
 
REF: A) 07 Rome 1522  B) 07 Rome 1326 
 
¶1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please Protect 
Accordingly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary: On February 3, Italian Sous Sherpa Guido La Tella 
briefed DCM and Science Counselor on the GOI approach to G8 Summit 
structure.  While noting that consensus has not yet been reached 
among G8 members, La Tella said the GOI plan is to limit the 
summit's first day to the core eight countries; the second day would 
include the "Outreach Five" and Egypt, and the third day would add 
African heads of state.  Stressing the GOI's need to begin planning 
for the Major Economies (ME) leaders' meetings, La Tella asked for 
initial guidance regarding the USG position on the ME process and 
asked Post to arrange a phone call with Special Envoy for Climate 
Change Todd Stern.  The DCM agreed to facilitate the communication. 
In a farewell call with the Ambassador on February 4, Italy's 
Sherpa, Giampiero Massolo, asked for US views on three Italian G8 
proposals: climate change, trade, and the relationship between G8/G8 
plus 5/G20.  End Summary. 
 
G8 Outreach 
----------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) DCM and SciCouns met with Italian Sous Sherpa Guido La 
Tella to facilitate preparations for the July Summit and lead-up 
meetings.  The DCM asked La Tella for an overview of the Italian 
approach to G8 outreach.  La Tella confirmed the GOI summit proposal 
would reflect the policy paper distributed electronically to G8 
members early in 2009: the Italians recognize the importance of the 
core G8 meetings, but believe the G8 should also commit to a 
structured, permanent dialogue with other nations, particularly 
given the current financial crisis and the influence of emerging 
economies on overall worldwide economic stability.  Repeating what 
the Italians have told us previously, the plan is to reserve the 
first day of the summit for G8 Heads of State.  On the second day, 
they propose inviting the "Outreach Five" nations (Brazil, China, 
India, Mexico and South Africa) plus Egypt to take part in the 
meetings.  The third day would then include heads of state from 
African nations, as well as a meeting of the MEM.  La Tella added 
the Italian Sherpa would be tabling a proposal following this 
outline at the concomitant Feb 3 Sherpa meeting in Naples. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Noting that the G8 Heiligendamm Dialogue Process (HDP) is 
slated to conclude in 2009, La Tella said the GOI will propose 
creating a more permanent framework for outreach.  In response to a 
question from the DCM on the impact of the April meeting of the G-20 
in London on the Italian's plans for the G8, La Tella responded that 
the GOI was talking to the UK about the G-20 agenda, which, would 
focus on the financial crisis.  He said the GOI understands that the 
G-20 may need to address some broader economic issues, given the 
depth of the world economic crisis.  La Tella made clear, however, 
that the GOI is working to keep economic governance issues under the 
purview of the G8. 
 
Climate Change 
-------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) La Tella, who is also Italy's lead negotiator for the Major 
Economies (ME) process, highlighted Italy's commitment to host a ME 
leaders' meeting in conjunction with the G8 Summit, and asked that 
post put him in contact with Special Envoy Todd Stern.  Offering to 
travel to Washington to initiate the dialogue, La Tella explained 
that the GOI needs to plan now for the summit and related 
preparatory meetings.  In particular, he is seeking to clarify the 
scope of work for the ME and G8 processes in producing 
climate-related text for the G8 Summit in July. 
 
 
ROME 00000141  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Additionally, the GOI would like a signal on the USG's 
approach to the ME and overall climate change negotiations; the GOI 
is amenable to a change in the ME name, if the USG feels that is 
needed to signify a change.  La Tella said he had just had a meeting 
with the Japanese mission and they agreed that the G8/ME leaders' 
meeting needs to give a strong substantive signal on addressing 
climate change - "maybe not a numerical target for greenhouse-gas 
emissions, but something of real substance that also is acceptable 
to all." In an aside, La Tella also asked for a USG position on 
UNSYG Ban Ki Moon's plan for a smaller climate change negotiating 
group.  La Tella said that the GOI did not necessarily object to a 
new process, but worried that additional meetings might overburden 
Ministers who are already committed to other climate change fora. 
He repeated Italy's offer to host a ME negotiators' meeting this 
spring (ref B). 
 
Possible Second Energy Ministerial 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) In a separate but related issue, La Tella raised the 
prospect of a second G8 Energy Ministerial in Milan this fall. Each 
ministry, La Tella said, is responsible for its own ministerial 
planning.  Economic Development Minister Scajola is proposing the 
fall ministerial to reflect the current importance of energy issues, 
he said. 
 
Readout of the Feb 2-3 Sherpa meeting 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Giampiero Massolo, Secretary General of the MFA, Italy's G8 
Sherpa called on the Ambassador February 4 for a farewell call. 
Massolo was pleased with the outcome of the first Sherpa meeting, 
held in Naples February 2-3.  While recognizing that the Obama 
Administration is still in the process of formalizing its positions 
on various issues, he noted three areas where Italy is eager to 
receive the views of the US: 
 
-- climate change: He noted that the La Maddelena Summit would crate 
a platform for Copenhagen, but we need to identity the format and 
how to engage major emerging economies, such as India and China. 
 
-- trade: The G8 could provide the vehicle for identifying a way 
forward on WTO and other trade issues. 
 
-- the relationship between the G8/G8 plus 5/G20: The Italian view 
is that the G20 format is too unwieldy to manage, while the G8 is 
"less representative" because it does not involve the emerging 
economies. Italy, therefore, would like to emphasize the G8 plus 5 
and the La Maddalena Summit could be the setting for a new, more 
permanent format. The G8 would still exist, but the inclusion of the 
Outreach five would be institutionalized and made a permanent 
feature of future summits. 
 
SPOGLI