Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ATHENS1656
2006-06-28 12:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

SOUTHERN CORRIDOR ENERGY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE,

Tags:  ECON ENRG EPET GR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #1656/01 1791222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281222Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE 0654
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0468
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE 0978
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 0780
RUEHVB/AMEMBASSY ZAGREB 0265
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5950
UNCLAS ATHENS 001656 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG EPET GR
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN CORRIDOR ENERGY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE,
JULY 14, ATHENS, GREECE

(U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please
treat accordingly.

UNCLAS ATHENS 001656

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG EPET GR
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN CORRIDOR ENERGY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE,
JULY 14, ATHENS, GREECE

(U) This message is sensitive but unclassified. Please
treat accordingly.


1. (U) This is an action cable; please see paragraph 6.
Embassy Athens is pleased to invite officers from addressee
posts to the Southern Corridor Energy Officer's Conference,
which will be held July 14 in Athens, Greece. The
conference will take place at the Hotel Grand Bretagne,
Athens, Greece. The following information is provided to
allow post personnel to plan for and make travel
arrangements to the conference, and to notify personnel of
the conference agenda.


2. (SBU) All Energy Officers, Economic Counselors and
other appropriate officers from addressee posts are invited
to attend the conference. The purpose of the conference,
which will be chaired by EUR DAS Matt Bryza, is to advance
USG support for efforts to utilize the Greece-Turkey-Italy
Gas Interconnector and the "Nabucco" pipeline as ways to
bring Caspian gas economically to Europe.

--------------
Conference Agenda
--------------


3. (SBU) The conference agenda is as follows:

0900 Ambassador Ries Welcomes Participants

0905 Conference Objectives and State of Play
Presenter: EUR DAS Bryza

1000 Caspian Energy Reserves/Potential Means and Timing of
Delivery to Europe
Presenter: U.S. Government Analyst

1030 Energy -- The Policy Geography
Group Session
(Session lays out action forcing events such as
conferences,infrastructure projects and
intergovernmental meetings that will influence USG
approach.)

1130 The Russian Strategy
Embassy Moscow or EB
How Gazprom and the GOR may attempt to counter USG
policy.

1200 Sequencing: Who Needs to Do What When to Get Caspian
Gas to Europe
Presenters: DAS Bryza and USG Energy Analyst

1300 Lunchtime Discussion on Greek Role in EU Energy
Security
Presenter: Representative of Greek Natural Gas
Company (DEPA)

1430 Linking Strategies: The Role of the Southern
Corridor in the USG's Overall European Energy
Strategy
Presenter: DAS Bryza, USEU, Group Discussion

1530 Next Steps
Group Discussion

1600 Open Discussion/Q and A


1800 Reception at Ambassador's Residence

2030 (Optional) Dinner at Restaurant in Plaka

--------------
Administrative Arrangements
--------------


4. (U) In view of conference agenda, please ensure that
travel arrangements provide for arrival in Athens no later
than the evening of Thursday, July 13. The Embassy has
block-reserved lodging at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in
Athens. The room rate is $178 USD per night including VAT
and breakfast. There will be an additional one-time
conference fee of $50 per person to cover the cost of the
conference facilities. Conference participants are
responsible for paying for any extra personal nights or
extra person charges upon checkout. The current per diem
rate in Athens is $178 for lodging and $136 for MIE.
Embassy Athens is also willing, on a limited basis, to host
conference participants with Embassy families.


Hotel information is as follows:

Hotel Grande Bretagne
Constitution Square
Athens 10563
Phone (30)(21) 03330000
Fax (30)(21) 03228034

Check-in is 1400 hours and check-out is 1200 hours.


5. (U) Participants are requested to provide the names and
itineraries of each attendee in the following format.
Please e-mail Kiriaki Lamnatou (lamnatouka@state.gov) the
following information asap in order to allow post to make
all necessary administrative arrangements.

Name of participant
Accompanied by (if applicable)
Post/Office
Arrival and Departure Dates
Arrival/Departure Flight/Times
Room preference (specify single or double occupancy and
smoking or non-smoking, request to stay with Embassy
family)


6. (U) Economic Counselor Clark Price will serve as
Control Officer for the conference. He can be reached at:
(O) 30-210-720-2304; (C) 30-694-825-1830; (H) 30-210-671-

0565.


7. (U) Visas are required for U.S. citizens entering Greece
on
diplomatic passports. Visas are not required for U.S.
citizens entering Greece on tourist passports. Requirements
to enter Greece for citizens of other countries vary. Each
non-U.S. citizen should check with his/her local Greek
consulate to determine visa requirements.


8. (U) Security Advisory:


A. Embassy Athens is designated "high" for indigenous
terrorism. In the past, local Greek terrorist groups have
targeted prominent Greeks as well as certain non-Greek
officials, including Americans. We believe that the threat
to official U.S. Government personnel on short-term
assignments to Greece or visiting for tourism is relatively
low. The indigenous groups historically have engaged in
extensive operational surveillance over long periods of
time. In 2003 and again in 2004, the Greek government made
significant progress to combat domestic terrorism by
successfully convicting the leader and key hit men of the
November 17 terrorist organization and of the ELA. 17N was
responsible for assassinating prominent Greeks and five
members of the U.S. Mission over the course of its 30-year
history. Convicted ELA members were responsible for
several bombings, attempted murders and were involved in at
least one assassination. While these convictions likely
impacted on the operational capabilities of 17N and ELA, it
is too soon to assess whether the threat from domestic
terrorism is completely eliminated. There have been
several attacks against Greek police over the last year,
including the December 2004 assassination of a special
police guard in front of the residence of the British
military attach. We urge vigilance and caution, as the
worldwide threat from other terrorist groups against
Americans in general remains high. Official Americans
should assume they are potential targets.


B. Over the past year, the U.S. Embassy has experienced
bomb threats, protest marches, and anti-U.S.
demonstrations. These protests are generally peaceful though
a few provoke random acts of violence. Travelers to Greece
are advised that protests or demonstrations could occur at
any time; unwitting observers or bystanders might be
identified, to their disadvantage, as Americans. RSO
recommends that official U.S. travelers in Greece remain
alert when moving about in public places and avoid certain
places where demonstrators frequently congregate. These
places include the Polytechnical University area, located
on 28 October (Patission) Street between the national
Archeological Museum and Omonia Square; Exarchion Square,
located near Kolonaki; Omonia and Syntagma Squares, which
are often used as launch sites for large demonstrations;
and Mavili Square, located near the U.S. Embassy. Visitors
should keep abreast of news about large demonstrations and
avoid these areas and metro stops.


C. Crime is rated "medium" in Greece. For TDY visitors,
pick-pocketing and purse snatching are the most common
crimes. Taxis are generally safe thought metered cabs are
recommended. Taxis will often pick up more than one
passenger unless prior arrangements are made. Crimes of
opportunity - thefts, break-ins, and occasional scams - are
on the rise. Travelers should be especially cautious with
wallets, purses, and parcels when traveling on crowded
streets, public buses, trolleys, and/or subways. There
have been several instances of motorcyclists approaching
cars stuck in traffic, reaching through open windows or
smashing closed ones, and stealing whatever is within
reach. We have also recently learned of a new method in
which motorcyclists open the trunk of a vehicle and remove
the contents. The Embassy recommends keeping purses,
parcels, handbags, etc. out of sight, under the seat, or on
the floor of the car. Windows should be kept closed and
doors locked. Pedestrians also may be confronted by
beggars and other street people who may attempt to divert
attention and then steal unprotected valuables - either by
pick-pocketing or snatch-and-grab techniques. Women are
generally safe from violent crime in Greece. However, men
are aggressive by American standards when pursuing women.


D. Traffic in Greek urban areas, especially Athens and
Thessaloniki, is undisciplined. Greece has a poor record
within the European Union for traffic fatalities, mainly
due to excessive speeding. Road rage is always a risk.
Accidents can result in fistfights. Drivers in Greece
should exercise caution and common sense. Drivers and
pedestrians alike should exercise extreme caution when
operating motor vehicles or when walking along roadways.
Moreover, tourists who rent motorbikes either on the Greek
mainland or its islands must wear helmets and must take
special precautions on the local roads that are typically
poorly maintained and frequently pothole-ridden. Greece
also has a poor record within the European Union in
motorcycle deaths. RIES

RIES