Wikileaks - CDLXV

80539 10/3/2006 15:47 06ROME2780 Embassy Rome CONFIDENTIAL 06STATE163498 VZCZCXRO8313 OO RUEHAG DE RUEHRO #2780 2761547 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 031547Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6145 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0587 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0518 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 1780 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 7739 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 1899 RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0020 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0645 RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0090 C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002780

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016 TAGS: EUN, UNGA, PREL, PHUM, UN, IT SUBJECT: ITALIANS NEUTRAL ON SUPPORTING AMENDMENT TO CUBA EMBARGO RESOLUTION

REF: STATE 163498

Classified By: classified by David D. Pearce, Political Minister Counse lor, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel points to Leonardo Bencini, Director of the UN office of the Italian MFA, on October 3. Bencini noted that the EU regularly supports the Cuba Embargo resolution and would likely do so again. Bencini said that Italy's position on support for an amendment would be formed in consultation with other EU members. At this time, however, Italy had not identified the mechanism through which criticism of the Cuban human rights situation would be made. Italy was waiting for the end of the UNHRC session in Geneva before making a final determination on how to proceed.

2. (C) Comment. Although Bencini was sympathetic to our appeal, he declined to comment on possible GOI support pending an EU-wide discussion. Italy's position in international fora is highly (and sometimes entirely) influenced by the common EU position. On difficult issues, Italy prefers to find consensus rather than advocate a strong position. SPOGLI