CONFIDENTIAL
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057444
MDHIAN 9
REGULARLY DISCUSSED IN OTHER FORA. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE WORTH
SIGNPOSTING THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:
(A) ITALIAN WARSHIPS FOR IRAQ. ALTHOUGH AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL
ITALY HAS MOVED NEARER TO THE RELEASE OF WARSHIPS TO IRAQ (MY TELNO 280), ITALIAN MINISTERS CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION OF THE SHIPS BEING HANDED OVER IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. CLARIFICATION OF ITALIAN POLICY WOULD BE USEFUL.
(B) LIBYA. THE ITALIANS ARE WELL AWARE OF OUR VIEWS ON QADHAFI AND
TERRORISM, BUT REMAIN UNPERSUADED. IN FACT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE MOVEMENT IN ITALO-LIBYAN RELATIONS IN RECENT MONTHS. BUT WE MAY WISH TO QUIZ THE ITALIANS ON THEIR WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN GROUPING (MY TELNO 243), WHICH INCLUDES LIBYA AND WHICH INCLUDES SECURITY WITHIN ITS COMPETENCE.
(C) EH101. THE ITALIANS MAY RAISE THE CURRENT STRAINS IN THE
BILATERAL COLLABORATION ON THE EH101 HELICOPTER PROJECT (WESTLAND/AGUSTA). THE ITALIAN MOD HAS NOT TAKEN KINDLY TO MODUK'S PRIME CONTRACTOR CONCEPT. SUBJECT TO THE VIEWS OF MODUK, THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY WISH TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE WHICH WE ATTACH TO THIS BILATERAL PROJECT, AND OUR HOPE THAT THE ITALIANS WILL CONTINUE TO COOPERATE.
(D) WORLD CUP (8 JUNE-8 JULY). MR MOYNIHAN IS VISITING ROME,
CAGLIARI AND GENOA FROM 7-10 MAY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY WISH TO THANK THE ITALIANS FOR THEIR COLLABORATION ON SECURITY ISSUES, AND URGE THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BE DONE TO DAMP DOWN MEDIA SENSATIONALISM.
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