Wikileaks - MCLXXIII
175586 10/28/2008 15:47 08ROME1305 Embassy Rome CONFIDENTIAL 08STATE114399 VZCZCXRO6820 OO RUEHFL RUEHNP DE RUEHRO #1305 3021547 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 281547Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1058 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3280 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 1866 RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0352 RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST PRIORITY 0615 RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 0145 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV PRIORITY RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 0552 RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA PRIORITY RUEHVJ/AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO PRIORITY 0057 RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 0828 RUEHSF/AMEMBASSY SOFIA PRIORITY 0535 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 0233 RUEHTI/AMEMBASSY TIRANA PRIORITY 4332 RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 0791 RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 3247 RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 9605 RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 3403 C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 001305
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2018 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MARR, MK, SR, IT SUBJECT: ITALY WANTS BOTH SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO IN SEDM
REF: STATE 114399
Classified By: Liam Wasley, Acting Political Minister Counselor, for re asons 1.4 (b) and (d).
(C) Poloff delivered reftel points to MFA Balkans Office Director Raimondo De Cardona on October 28. De Cardona declined to state whether Italy would oppose Montenegro's inclusion in SEDM if Serbia was not invited to participate, but instead made a plea for the inclusion of all qualified countries, including Serbia. De Cardona stated the Italy believed that the Tadic government had made significant steps toward moderating the previous government's unhelpful positions in many areas and continued engagement between Serbia and the transatlantic community should be encouraged. De Cardona outlined many of the steps: the arrest of Karadzic, additional cooperation with the ICTY, increased flexibility on EULEX/UNMIK transition, and a softening of rhetoric against Kosovo. While Serbia still had a long way to go toward reversing its isolation, this government had at least shown that it was concretely moving in the right direction. Since Kosovo had not applied to be a participant in SEDM, it made no sense to keep Serbia out over their opposition to Kosovo's inclusion in other fora. SPOGLI
