GREECE/TERRORISM: DUTCH PM KOK PRESSES SIMITIS AT FEIRA

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001850 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2010 TAGS: PTER PREL GR UK NL EUN SUBJECT: GREECE/TERRORISM: DUTCH PM KOK PRESSES SIMITIS AT FEIRA REF: A. THE HAGUE 1801 ¶B. STATE 113631 Classified by DCM Reed Fendrick, Reasons 1.5 b/d 1.(C) Prime Minister Kok's Foreign Policy Advisor Wim Geerts told DCM on June 21 that, per ref A request, Kok pulled aside Greek PM Simitis during the Feira Summit to voice his "strong concern" about the recent murder of British Brigadier Saunders. According to Geerts, Kok told Simitis that the Dutch took the terrorist threat "extremely seriously" and that Kok would expect Simitis to deliver on his pledges to combat terrorism in Greece. Geerts wanted DCM to know that the general statement on terrorism included in paragraph 51 of the concluding document of the Feira Summit, while not referring directly to the Saunders murder, was crafted specifically in response to the incident. 2.(C) Comment: While not taking sole credit for the Feira language (he noted that British PM Blair and others had also weighed in with Simitis),Geerts wanted the U.S. to be aware of the strong Dutch efforts on Greek terrorism. SCHNEIDER