CONFIDENTIAL
132042
MDHIAN 1236
DEBATE ON THE EUROPEAN SECURITY FRAMEWORK SHOULD NOT (NOT) OVERSHADOW THE CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE OF NATO AS THE MEANS OF KEEPING THE US AND CANADA ENGAGED. THIS SHOULD HELP TO LESSEN THE BLURRING OF THE ITALIAN POSITION CAUSED BY DE MICHELIS' RECENT ENTHUSIASM IN PUBLIC FOR A STRONG CSCE COMPONENT TO EUROPEAN SECURITY. OVER LUNCH, DE MICHELIS HIMSELF ALSO REAFFIRMED THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE US INVOLVEMENT IN EUROPE. ON GERMAN UNIFICATION, NO MAJOR DIFFERENCE APPEARED BETWEEN BRITISH AND ITALIAN OBJECTIVES, THOUGH DE MICHELIS LET OFF SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HIS USUAL HEAD OF STEAM. HE CLUNG TENACIOUSLY TO HIS THEORY OF A GENSCHER- SOVIET PLOT TO DECOUPLE THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ASPECTS OF UNIFICATION. THE FUNDAMENTAL REASON FOR HIS HOSTILITY TO THE 2 + SYSTEM PROBABLY REMAINS ITALY'S EXCLUSION FROM IT, BUT DE MICHELIS SEEMED SINCERE IN HIS VIGOROUSLY ARGUED BELIEF THAT IT IS INTRINSICALLY DAMAGING SINCE ITS TIMETABLE GIVES THE RUSSIANS TOO MUCH LEVERAGE. WE SHALL SEE.
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5. THERE WAS NO (NO) DETAILED DISCUSSION OF 'POLITICAL UNION'. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE ITALIAN CONCEPT REMAINED ESSENTIALLY IDEALISTIC, OR AS DE MICHELIS PUT IT, ALONG THE LINES OF SPINELLI, THE ITALIAN POLITICIAN WHO PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL FOR A FEDERAL EUROPE. BUT DE MICHELIS ARGUED WITH APPARENT CONVICTION FOR A CLOSER ANGLO-ITALIAN RELATIONSHIP, AS A 'BALANCING FACTOR' IN EUROPE. (BEFORE HE BECAME FOREIGN MINISTER, THIS WAS A RECURRENT DE MICHELIS THEME, INTENDED TO COUNTER ANY TENDENCY TOWARDS FRANCO- GERMAN DOMINANCE). TO FACILITATE COMPROMISE WITH BRITAIN, DE MICHELIS SURPRISINGLY OFFERED TO CONSIDER A 'LOOSER' ITALIAN APPROACH ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY. AS PRESIDENCY, THE ITALIAN ROLE WOULD IN ANY CASE BE TO SEEK COMPROMISES RATHER THAN CHAMPION GRAND IDEAS. THIS DID NOT HOWEVER INHIBIT DE MICHELIS FROM EXPOUNDING HIS RATHER ABSURD IDEAS FOR A MEDITERRANEAN HELSINKI AGREEMENT AND FOR AN EC AID COMMITMENT OF 1 PERCENT OF GDP AFTER 1992.
6. YOU HAD PARTICULARLY USEFUL EXCHANGES ON REGIONAL ISSUES. ON IRAQ, BOTH ANDREOTTI AND DE MICHELIS WERE CLEARLY WORRIED BY SADDAM HUSSEIN AND THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO 'REDUCE HIS ASPIRATIONS'. IN PRIVATE, DE MICHELIS DENIED ANY INTENTION OF VISITING TEHRAN. ON SOUTH AFRICA, HE REINFORCED RECENT ENCOURAGING SHIFTS IN ITALIAN THINKING, ARGUING FOR A PHASED RELAXATION OF EC SANCTIONS BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY AFTER DE KLERK'S CURRENT VISIT TO EUROPE. ON HONG KONG, HE HOPED TO ANNOUNCE BY THE END OF JUNE A DECISION TO MAKE AVAILABLE LONG TERM VISAS TO AROUND TEN THOUSAND HONG KONG CITIZENS, A HIGHER FIGURE THAN WE HAD EXPECTED. (I BELIEVE THAT THE
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