FM BAKOYANNIS TRAVEL TO MIDDLE EAST: CRAFTING THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002178 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/SE, NEA, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2016 TAGS: CY GR IS LE MARR MOPS PGOV PREL PTER UN SUBJECT: FM BAKOYANNIS TRAVEL TO MIDDLE EAST: CRAFTING THE MESSAGE REF: USUN 1537 Classified By: DCM Thomas Countryman for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) FM Dora Bakoyannis will depart Athens on Tuesday afternoon, August 22, for a tour of the Middle East. She plans to visit Cyprus, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel, and also intends to meet with Palestinian leadership. (Her chief of staff told DCM that she will not/not visit Syria.) The announced purpose of her trip is to meet with her counterparts and other political leaders to review developments in the Middle East crisis in advance of Greece's September Security Council Presidency. The GoG is still considering its contributions to UNIFIL, although it has expressed its preference for a naval contingent only. ¶2. (C) As Ambassador Ries expects to see FM Bakoyannis on Tuesday before her departure, post requests input by OOB August 22 from the Department on key issues which will impact Greece's UNSC Presidency in September. Specifically: -- What is Washington's current thinking on the Arab League proposal to hold a Security Council ministerial on the Palestinian issue during the Greek Presidency (reftel)? -- What message would we like FM Bakoyannis to deliver to Palestinian leaders? -- USG thoughts on the strength of the cease-fire in the wake of the Israeli raid into the Bekaa, and Syrian/Iranian efforts to resupply Hizballah? -- What is our assessment of the extent to which the UNIFIL naval contingent will actively interdict/inspect ships (as opposed to merely serving as a buffer between Lebanon and the Israeli Navy)? RIES