Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ATHENS2811
2005-10-27 15:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

BALKANS UPDATE FROM THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER

Tags:  GR PGOV PREL EU AMB 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002811 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2014
TAGS: GR PGOV PREL EU AMB
SUBJECT: BALKANS UPDATE FROM THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER


Classified By: Amb. Charles P. Ries. Reasons 1.4(b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002811

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2014
TAGS: GR PGOV PREL EU AMB
SUBJECT: BALKANS UPDATE FROM THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER


Classified By: Amb. Charles P. Ries. Reasons 1.4(b/d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In an October 27 meeting, Foreign Minister
Molyviatis confirmed to Ambassador that Greece will support
the opening of EU accession talks with "FYROM," absent
resolution of the name issue between Greece and Macedonia.
Prospects for resolution of the name issue, however, are dim,
in his view. Serbian PM Kostunica, visiting Athens October
31, will hear from the Greeks about the need to comply with
ICTY in the case of General Mladic and to support (and
participate in) negotiations on Kosovo's status. Molyviatis
told Ambassador that he is considering a SEECP ministerial
visit to Kosovo in December to close out Greece's 2005 SEECP
presidency. END SUMMARY.

MACEDONIA NAME ISSUE


2. (C) Molyviatis asked Ambassador about a Washington Times
article dated October 26 (citing "U.S. sources in Athens")
that forecast a third proposal on the name issue from UN
Special Negotiator Nimetz and Nimetz's impending resignation
thereafter. Ambassador pointed out that the article had
numerous errors of fact and no one in Embassy Athens had ever
heard of the journalist. Molyviatis warned Ambassador that
Greece's proposal in April (Republika Makedonija Skopje) was
"it" as far as Greece was concerned. If UN Special
Negotiator Nimetz proposed a "third way" to resolve the
Macedonia name issue that was in between his April and
October proposals, Greece would not be able to accept it.
When pressed, Molyviatis confirmed that Greece would study
any new proposal from Nimetz, "but I don't know how fast we
will reject it."


3. (C) Ambassador asked whether Greece's offer to upgrade
representation in the talks still stood. Molyviatis
responded that this idea had been made on the basis of using
the Nimetz proposal as the basis for talks. He admitted, at
Ambassador's urging, that Greece would be willing to upgrade
the level of discussions "on no basis at all" if it would
help promote a solution. He stated, however, that Skopje
"was in no mood" for compromise. He pointed to Macedonian PM
Buckovski's Washington visit, where no one had mentioned the
name issue "because the facts speak for themselves" (meaning,

presumably, that the U.S.'s recognition of Macedonia by its
constitutional name last November put Washington squarely in
Skopje's camp). Somewhat gloomily, Molyviatis said he saw no
chance for a solution for the future.


4. (C) Therefore, Molyviatis continued, his priority was
keeping Macedonia's EU accession on track. Greece had no
problem, he stated, seeing the EU begin accession
negotiations with "FYROM," absent resolution of the name
issue. He had made this position clear to in London,
Brussels, Paris and Berlin, and Foreign Ministers Straw,
Solana, Douste-Blazy and Fischer had assured him of their
support. Molyviatis said bluntly that Greece would not
consent to a change in EU practice (of using FYROM) by the
Council, and he emphasized that changing the EU's policy of
using FYROM would require EU consensus, and absent an agreed
resolution of the name, Greece would never agree to change EU
practice in this regard.

KOSTUNICA VISITS ATHENS OCTOBER 31


5. (C) Molyviatis told Ambassador that as he would be in New
York on October 31 for the UNSC meeting on Syria, Deputy FM
Valynakis would represent the MFA during PM Kostunica's
working visit to Athens (Kostunica will meet Greek President
Papoulias, Prime Minister Karamanlis and opposition leader
George Papandreou). Molyviatis and Ambassador compared notes
on messages to Kostunica to underscore the importance of
meeting the conditions for Euro-atlantic integration, and
Molyviatis agreed to:

-- Stress the need to bring Mladic to justice, not only
because it demonstrates Belgrade's compliance with
international statutes, but because it opens the door to
Euro-atlantic integration, i.e., PfP.

-- Focus on practicalities: encourage constructive Belgrade
engagement with regard to returns and property rights --
issues that mattered to real people and which have to be
addressed regardless of Kosovo's status. Molyviatis
mentioned that Greece was considering whether it could use
some of the much-touted (though little in evidence) Balkans
Reconstruction Fund to fund the return of Serbs to Kosovo.

-- Press Kostunica to be in touch with UN Special Envoy
Ahtisaari as soon as possible after his appointment to
demonstrate Belgrade's constructive approach and to assemble
a top-notch negotiating team.

SEECP


6. (C) Molyviatis said that he had been discussing with his
SEECP ministerial colleagues the idea of a SEECP meeting in
Pristina in December in support of international status
efforts on Kosovo. The idea of a visit would be to
demonstrate regional support for a settlement of status
issues. He started, he said, with Serbian FM Draskovic, "who
was not negative." Molyviatis is targeting early December
for a visit, and is mulling over whether it would involve all
10 SEECP ministers, or just the SEECP Troika (Greece, Romania
and Croatia).
RIES