TNAG-2181-FCO40-3118-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 124

CONFIDENTIAL

FM ROME

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 360

OF 181655Z MAY 90

CONFIDENTIAL

263

132042

MDHIAN 1236

Int Support

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INFO IMMEDIATE DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT

INFO PRIORITY NATO POSTS, EC POSTS, MOSCOW, BAGHDAD, HONG KONG

PEKING, CAPE TOWN

INFO SAVING HOLY SEE, MILAN, NAPLES, FLORENCE

NA 21/5

нко 34011

RECEIVER A REGISTRY

+

FCO TELNOS 242 AND 245: YOUR VISIT TO ROME, 15-16 MAY 2 1 APR 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

SUMMARY

1. EXCELLENT VISIT. ITALY'S COMMITMENT TO NATO AND ITS ATLANTIC COMPONENT RECONFIRMED. PRAGMATISM PROMISED ON EUROPEAN POLITICAL UNION. ANDREOTTI SEES SADDAM AS TOO BIG FOR HIS BOOTS. DE MICHELIS DENIES INTENTION TO VISIT TEHRAN, AND IS CONSTRUCTIVE ON SOUTH AFRICA AND HONG KONG. BOTH HELPFUL ON WORLD CUP DAMAGE LIMITATION. AGREEMENT SIGNED ON CONFISCATION OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDS. USEFUL PRESENTATIONS TO OPINION-FORMERS.

DETAIL

2. YOU VISITED ROME FOR TWENTY-TWO HOURS ON 15-16 MAY. THE CENTRAL ELEMENTS OF THE VISIT WERE TALKS WITH ANDREOTTI (INCLUDING TEN MINUTES A DEUX), AND WITH DE MICHELIS. YOU SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH DE MICHELIS ON THE TRACING, FREEZING AND

THE SEQUESTRATION OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND OTHER CRIMINAL PROCEEDS, FIRST SUCH AGREEMENT FOR ITALY. YOU ALSO PUT OVER OUR VIEWS ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TO AN INVITED AUDIENCE OF POLITICIANS AND ACADEMICS AT THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND TWICE BRIEFED SENIOR PRESSMEN.

3. ON THE FEW KEY AREAS OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US (PRINCIPALLY EUROPEAN POLITICAL UNION) THE ITALIANS MADE NO (NO) DRAMATIC SHIFTS TOWARDS OUR POSITION, BUT THEIR APPROACH THROUGHOUT WAS MODERATELY RECEPTIVE, AND ON SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES THEY SHOWED, TO AN THE EXTENT GREATER THAN I HAD EXPECTED, SOME NEW FLEXIBILITY. APPROACH OF HIS TIME AS CHAIRMAN OF THE EC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MAY AT LAST BE HAVING A SOBERING EFFECT ON DE MICHELIS.

4. THE TETE A TETE WITH ANDREOTTI WAS PARTICULARLY VALUABLE. ANDREOTTI USED IT PRINCIPALLY TO UNDERLINE HIS CONVICTION THAT THE

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