Cablegate: Berlusconi Seeks Support for Bush-Putin Meeting In

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 001725

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P, EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2012
TAGS: IT PREL RS NATO
SUBJECT: BERLUSCONI SEEKS SUPPORT FOR BUSH-PUTIN MEETING IN
ROME

REF: A. ROME 1206

B. ROME 721

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MC THOMAS COUNTRYMAN REASON: 1.5 (B)
AND (D).
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 ROME 01725 080532Z

1. (C) AMBASSADOR SEMBLER ACCOMPANIED CODEL YOUNG TO AN APRIL 4 MEETING WITH PM BERLUSCONI, JUST HOURS AFTER THE PM RETURNED FROM HIS MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN IN MOSCOW AND SOCHI. FOLLOWING THE MEETING, BERLUSCONI PULLED THE AMBASSADOR ASIDE TO MAKE A ""PERSONAL REQUEST"" TO PRESIDENT BUSH ON NATO-RUSSIA MATTERS. BERLUSCONI SAID PUTIN NEEDS US
HELP IN BUILDING RUSSIAN PUBLIC OPINION TO SUPPORT NATO ENLARGEMENT, AS WELL AS HELP WITH THE ""NATO AT 20"" CONCEPT. PRESIDENT BUSH NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND PUTIN'S DOMESTIC REQUIREMENTS, THE PRIME MINISTER SAID. PUTIN NEEDS TO BE SEEN AS PART OF THE NATO FAMILY.

2. (C) MAKING HIS REQUEST MORE SPECIFIC, BERLUSCONI SAID THAT PUTIN HAD PHONED PRESIDENT BUSH, WITH BERLUSCONI IN THE ROOM, TO URGE THAT NEGOTIATIONS ON A NEW NATO-RUSSIA RELATIONSHIP BE ACCELERATED, SO THAT A NATO-RUSSIA AGREEMENT COULD BE SIGNED IN ROME ON MAY 29 OR 30. BERLUSCONI SAID THAT PUTIN HAD TOLD HIM THAT PRESIDENT BUSH WAS CONSIDERING THE REQUEST.
THE PM ASKED THE AMBASSADOR TO SUPPORT THIS REQUEST WITH THE WHITE HOUSE.

3. (C) IN AN APRIL 5 DISCUSSION WITH POL-MC, BERLUSCONI'S
DIPLOMATIC ADVISER, ANTONIO CASTELLANETA, EXPANDED ON THE REASONS FOR THE PM'S REQUEST. PUTIN HAD SAID IN SOCHI THAT IT WAS NOT POLITICALLY POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO GO TO THE PRAGUE SUMMIT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN AGREEMENT ON A NEW NATO-RUSSIA PARTNERSHIP. PUTIN HAD SAID THAT A SEPARATE SUMMIT, SHOWING THE NEW RELATIONSHIP TO BE AS IMPORTANT TO NATO AS EXPANSION,
WOULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM FOR HIM. ACCORDING TO CASTELLANETA, BERLUSCONI BELIEVED THAT HIS VISIT THIS WEEK WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ITALIAN-RUSSIAN BILATERAL MEETING ""EVER,"" AND REINFORCED HIS DETERMINATION TO ASSIST PUTIN IN DRAWING CLOSER TO THE WEST. (DETAILED READOUT OF VISIT FOLLOWS SEPTEL).
4. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: WE CANNOT BE CERTAIN WHETHER A SEPARATE BUSH-PUTIN MEETING
IN ROME IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR PUTIN OR FOR BERLUSCONI. EMBASSY IS AWARE THAT THE DEPUTIES HAD
DISCUSSED AND NOT SUPPORTED THE ITALIAN PROPOSAL FOR A SEPARATE NATO-RUSSIA SUMMIT PRIOR
TO PRAGUE SUMMIT. WE WOULD APPRECIATE WASHINGTON GUIDANCE ON HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND TO PM
BERLUSCONI'S REQUESTS.
SEMBLER

CONFIDENTIAL

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2002ROME01725 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

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