CYPRIOTS FLOAT A BALLOON ON NATO SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 004294

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ FO PDAS BRADTKE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2014
TAGS: PREL CY MT TU EUN NATO USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: CYPRIOTS FLOAT A BALLOON ON NATO SECURITY
AGREEMENT AND PFP

REF: BRUSSELS 4082

Classified By: USEU Political-Military Officer Jeremy Brenner for reaso
ns 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The Cypriot military representative to the EU
suggests that Nicosia is giving serious consideration to
negotiating a security agreement with NATO as part of an
effort to resolve the blockage in EU-NATO strategic
cooperation. Nicosia is also eager to participate in the EU
Battlegroup program. End summary.

NATO Security Agreement
--------------

2. (C) Cypriot Military Representative to the European
Union, Lt. Colonel Pantelis Christophorou (strictly protect)
told USEU polmiloffs that Nicosia was giving very serious
consideration to negotiating a security agreement with NATO
as part of a strategy to resolve the problem of participation
by Cyprus and Malta in discussions of EU-NATO strategic
cooperation. Christophorou said that he had discussed the
issue with the Cypriot Permanent Representative to the EU,
and that the mission was prepared to send the proposal
directly to President Papadopoulos, on the condition that
they were given a "green light" signaling Turkey's acceptance
of the plan.

PfP Membership
--------------

3. (C) Christophorou lamented his exclusion from meetings
where NATO classified information (NCI) is discussed, and
said that Nicosia wanted to be a full participant in EU
defense matters. Adherence to a security agreement with NATO
would remove one of the obstacles cited by Turkey preventing
Cyprus and Malta from participating in discussions involving
NCI. Access to NCI would also require subscription to the
PfP framework document, under the provisions of the EU-NATO
Security Agreement. Christophorou said that PfP membership
or even accession to NATO are under consideration in Nicosia,
although he acknowledged that there would be some domestic
political opposition in Parliament. He argued that political
circumstances in Nicosia have evolved to the point where
these subjects can be raised for serious consideration. He
told us that the major impediment was concern over a negative
response from Turkey.

Rejecting the Plan, Not Reunification
--------------

4. (C) Christophorou contended that the "no" vote by Greek
Cypriots on the Annan plan for reunification was a vote
against the plan, not against reunification. He said that
reunification is working in practice, with residents of
Northern Cyprus free to travel in the south. He cited
security concerns as the major reason for the rejection of
the Annan plan, but said that Cyprus as a whole should not be
made to suffer because Turkey seeks to punish the Greek
Cypriots for rejecting the reunification plan.

Aiming for December
--------------

5. (C) He suggested that the security agreement could be
pushed ahead quickly, perhaps even by December in order to be
part of a package that would coincide with a positive message
to Turkey on EU accession.

Battlegroup Participation
--------------

6. (C) Christophorou was enthusiastic about the possibility
of Cypriot participation in an EU battlegroup. He said that
Cyprus had no preconceived ideas about potential partners in
such a unit, saying that Nicosia was open to any possibility.
Christophorou suggested that Cyprus had a number of
facilities and other assets to offer to an EU battlegroup,
although they could not offer more than a platoon or two of
troops. He said that he was unaware of any national caveats
that would prevent Cypriots troops from being deployed
outside their national territory or restrict the kinds of
duties they could perform. He mused that it would be an odd
circumstance for Cypriot forces to be deployed on
peacekeeping missions outside the country while the Island
itself was still divided.

7. (C) Comment: Christophorou would not be likely to trot out
the prospect of a security agreement without instructions
from Nicosia. As a practical matter, Cyprus already adheres
to the EU security arrangement, which was itself designed to
meet NATO standards. Acquiescence by Ankara at the NAC would
remove one obstacle to broader EU-NATO cooperation at a time
when the pace of military/ESDP activity is increasing within
the EU. We defer to Embassy Nicosia to evaluate Lt. Col.
Christophorou's assertion that the political climate has
evolved sufficiently to allow for discussion of PfP
membership. What is clear, is that this blockage is shutting
off significant avenues of new cooperation between NATO and
the EU, and Ankara is not winning any friends within the EU
by its stance.

Schnabel