NATO SG PRAISES GREEK CONTRIBUTIONS, EXPRESSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001822 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016 TAGS: PREL NATO GR SUBJECT: NATO SG PRAISES GREEK CONTRIBUTIONS, EXPRESSES "WORRY" OVER AEGEAN ISSUES REF: ATHENS 1405 Classified By: Ambassador Charles P. Ries for reasons 1.4 b & d. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer made a productive and widely-covered stop in Athens July 7 to confer with the GoG in the run-up to the Riga summit. de Hoop Scheffer praised Greece's contributions to various NATO operations, including Kosovo and Afghanistan. Though the MFA reported de Hoop Scheffer did not specifically ask for increases in Greek forces, the SG did make clear that NATO welcomes additional contributions from "any ally." On the Greek side, the FM committed to stay in Kosovo "as long as necessary," and expressed interest in bringing Serbia into the Partnership for Peace. The FM supported the accession process of the Adriatic Charter members, "provided the political and military criteria are fulfilled," and emphasized building confidence with Mediterranean partners outside of NATO. Regarding the Greek and Turkish F-16 collision, the SG remarked, "there are worries with me." Greek media took the opportunity of the visit to positively cover Greek contributions in Afghanistan. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) In a July 7 visit to Athens, NATO Secretary General (SG) Jan de Hoop Scheffer met with PM Karamanlis, FM Bakoyannis, and Defense Minister Meimarakis to discuss the "very intensive political agenda" in the run-up to the November Riga summit. Bakoyannis and De Hoop Scheffer gave a joint press conference after their meeting. The SG also met with opposition PASOK leader Papandreou. The SG praised Greek participation in Afghanistan, Kosovo, NATO maritime operation Active Endeavor, and lauded Greek training and equipping of Iraqi armed forces. His visit received wide press coverage and spurred a positive media blitz on Greece's contributions in Afghanistan in the subsequent days. KOSOVO AND SERBIA -------------- ¶3. (C) Ambassador Panayiotis Zographos, head of the MFA's D2 NATO Directorate, who was present at the meetings, told Ambassador that the discussions centered on Kosovo and Serbia, with Greece committing to de Hoop Scheffer to stay with KFOR for "as long as necessary." The SG was primarily concerned about developments in Belgrade and what to do about Partnership for Peace (PfP). On the Greek side, the PM and FM were in favor of affecting Serbian military reform from �00A;the "inside out rather than outside in," meaning they favor bringing Serbia into PfP and then working to change the military officer corps. AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶4. (C) On Afghanistan, Zographos reported that de Hoop Scheffer did most of the information sharing. He told the GoG that the mission was much tougher than had originally been anticipated, but necessary nonetheless. Zographos said de Hoop Scheffer discussed "problems with Karzai" with the PM and FM, but gave no further details. Contrary to Greek media reports (see pp 8),Zographos confirmed de Hoop Scheffer's press statement that the SG did not make specific requests for additional forces from Greece (and Greece did not offer them),but the SG did describe the shortages NATO is facing and made the appeal that "any ally who would be able to fill those shortages should do that," both in meetings and in his press statement. NATO ACCESSION -------------- ¶5. (C) On the accession prospects to NATO of Croatia, Macedonia, and Albania, the FM made clear to the SG and in her public statement that Greece will support accession in 2008 provided the countries fulfill the political and military criteria and that the Alliance is prepared for enlargement. On Macedonia, Zographos reported that there is "new optimism" that the new government in Skopje will be prepared now to deal with the name issue, although Greece will of course support their accession under "FYROM" as it is committed to do under the Interim Agreement, or another name by mutual agreement. MEDITERRANEAN DIALOGUE -------------- ¶6. (C) In the press conference, the FM emphasized that building confidence between the Mediterranean countries that are not NATO members - mainly through deepening and expanding issues address in the Mediterranean Dialogue - is of particular importance now. She also stressed the importance of a productive, substantial cooperation between NATO and the EU, while still respecting each organization's institutional autonomy. ATHENS 00001822 002 OF 002 GREECE-TURKEY TENSION -------------- ¶7. (C) Zographos did not tell us whether Greece-Turkey issues came up during the meetings. During the press conference, the SG, responding to a question on Aegean tensions, called the May 23 Greek and Turkish collision of F-16s (reftel) a "very regrettable incident." He continued that he was "satisfied" with the confidence-building measures that have been discussed by the two sides. Asked specifically about concern within the coalition, the SG replied, "There are worries with me when such incidents occur. That's crystal clear." THE MEDIA SPIN -------------- ¶8. (U) Greek press carried secondary reports following the visit, stressing that de Hoop Scheffer came to Greece to request increased monetary contributions to NATO, more equipment, primarily aircraft for airlift operations, and more troops for ISAF. Reports quoted that the Defense Minister "politely refused to increase contributions." A July 9 Kathimerini article characterized the SG's message to Greece and Turkey on the Aegean as: "Work things out," suggesting that de Hoop Scheffer feels these tensions detract from the major issues of the alliance. A July 9 Eleftherotypia piece suggested that Greece may offer a number of Apache helicopters to ISAF, but criticized the purported American strategy to have forces at the disposal of the NATO military commander at any time, thereby circumventing possible political objections from Athens. RIES