UNSC RESOLUTION MAY BE "JUST WHAT DPRK WANTS,"

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001766 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SE, IO/UNP, EAP/K E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM MARR UNSC KN GR SUBJECT: UNSC RESOLUTION MAY BE "JUST WHAT DPRK WANTS," SUGGESTS GREEK MFA REF: STATE 112806 Classified By: Ambassador Charles P. Ries for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Ambassador delivered reftel points on the UNSC resolution regarding the DPRK missile launches to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Haralambos Rocanas on July ¶10. Ambassador told Rocanas that the U.S. is grateful Greece has joined us in co-sponsoring the UNSC resolution, and informed Rocanas that his counterparts are reinforcing reftel message this morning with Security Council members who have not yet agreed to co-sponsor. ¶2. (C) Rocanas commented that the resolution may be "just what North Korea is looking for," adding that the DPRK is "throwing out this bait and we (the Security Council) have no choice but to bite." He suggested that North Korea actually may want sanctions imposed in order to "blame the imperialist Americans," citing South Korea's lack of support for the resolution as evidence that it may not produce the desired result. ¶3. (C) Rocanas informed Ambassador that the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs called Foreign Minister Bakoyannis on the subject over the weekend, but Rocanas did not yet have details of the conversation. Ambassador is scheduled to meet with Bakoyannis July 11. RIES