AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON NEW GREEK FM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ATHENS 000543

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL GR CY TU PHUM AMB
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON NEW GREEK FM
DORA BAKOYANNIS

REF: A. ATHENS 419

B. ATHENS 373

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

Please see para 2 for ACTION REQUEST.


1. (C) SUMMARY: In their February 23 introductory meeting,
newly-appointed Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and
Ambassador reviewed Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus
issue, with Bakoyannis briefing Ambassador on recent visits
to Athens by Turkish Minister of State Babacan and Cypriot FM
Iacovou. Ambassador briefed FM Bakoyannis on efforts to find
a date for a joint meeting of the SEECP and the Contact Group
on Kosovo, as well as on efforts to involve Athens in Middle
East democratization projects. FM Bakoyannis stated her
intention to visit Washington early in her tenure (see para
2) and the high priority she placed on Greece's entry into
the Visa Waiver Program. Largely in listening mode,
Bakoyannis made clear her commitment to working closely with
the United States. END SUMMARY.

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VISIT TO THE U.S.
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2. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: FM Bakoyannis told Ambassador she
wants to make an early official visit to Washington to meet
the Secretary, proposing early April or early May as possible
timeframes. Her Chef d'Cabinet later confirmed windows of
April 4-10 and May 5-10. Ambassador promised to relay these
options back to Washington. Post requests Washington
consideration of these dates and guidance. END ACTION
REQUEST.

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GREECE/TURKEY/CYPRUS
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3. (C) FM Bakoyannis briefed Ambassador on her February 22
meeting with Cypriot FM Iacovou (the first foreign minister
to visit Athens since Bakoyannis' appointment on February
15). Bakoyannis said she believed Nicosia was ready to
participate in a new UN-led process to resolve the Cyprus
issue. "I believe the will is there," she said, "if Annan
puts forward a new proposal." Bakoyannis explained her
February 22 statement (during a joint press availability with
Iacovou) that "the Annan Plan is history." Bakoyannis said
"It is history, the Greek Cypriots rejected it." The point
now, she continued, was to have a new proposal, at least "on
the surface." Since any viable settlement will have to be
put to referenda in both communities, to get enough Greek
Cypriot votes the plan must look different than the Annan
Plan. Even if 80 or 90 percent of the content is the same as
the Annan Plan, it had to look "new." Ambassador asked if
she was putting in question the bizonal, bicommunal
federation. "No, no, of course not," Bakoyannis replied.


4. (C) Bakoyannis also met Turkish Minister of State Ali
Babacan on Feb 22; Babacan was in Athens for a meeting of
SEECP Economy Ministers. Bakoyannis said Babacan was very
forthcoming on economic and EU technocratic issues, but more
reserved on political issues. On the political issues, she
said Babacan deferred to Turkish Ambassador to Greece
Burcoglu, who "is very close to the inner AK party circle."
Bakoyannis said she emphasized the need for a concrete sign
from Turkey that it was committed to improving Greek-Turkish
relations and its accession to the EU. In particular, she
urged Ankara reopen the Halki Seminary. She pointed out that
reopening Halki would be hugely significant in the current
environment, and was "much more important for Turkey than it
was for Greece or the EU." That is, she explained, with
religious unrest between Christians and Muslims spreading
thoughout the Arab world, a decision on Halki by Turkey would
be a good signal to send to the "Christian West."


5. (C) Referring to the February 22 incident in which a
Cypriot-flagged ship was refused entry to the Turkish port of
Mersin, Bakoyannis expressed frustration that she had not
heard of the incident until after her meetings that day with
both Iacovou and Babacan, and even then she learned about it
from a wire service report, not a cable from either Nicosia
or Ankara. When Bakoyannis reached Iacovou at the airport to
ask about it, she said he had also been surprised, and had
not known of it either. She noted that Iacovou had come to
Athens from elsewhere in Europe and could have been out of
the loop. Bakoyannis admitted she was still trying to figure
out whether the Mersin port approach had been planned by
President Papadopoulos (or by those close to him such as
National Security Advisor Tsionis) in order to draw attention
to Turkey's unwillingness to admit Cypriot-flagged vessels.
Alternatively, it "could be the random decision of a vessel
owner," she said (although without conviction). Ambassador
noted that he had asked former FM Molyviatis in January
whether Cyprus would try to bring things to a head by sending
a ship to a Turkish port (Ref B, para 9). Molyviatis had
responded that this was a card Cyprus could play, but he did
not think it was likely to do so until after the European
Parliament had ratified the Ankara Protocol. Bakoyannis took
that on board but had no substantive comment.

6. (C) Ambassador briefed FM Bakoyannis on discussions with
the MOD on how to bring the U.S.-origin arms that had been
illegally transferred to Cyprus back under Greek control. He
urged Bakoyannis to be prepared to discuss this issue when
she visits Capitol Hill. Bakoyannis agreed.


7. (C) Asked whether PM Karamanlis was reconsidering his
twice-postponed trip to Turkey, FM Bakoyannis said that while
Greece was committed to improving ties, any trip by the PM to
Ankara must be well-prepared and have concrete results. In
the meantime the Skopelitis-Tuygen channel to work bilateral
Aegean issues would continue unchanged. Bakoyannis expected
to see Turkish FM Gul in Brussels next week at the GAERC (she
also noted it was "his turn" to come to Athens). She
returned to the theme of reopening Halki, pointing out that
this would be a very good move in the run-up to a visit by PM
Karamanlis. "We need a sign from them," she said, in order
to get a visit back on track. Recalling then-FM Molyviatis'
May 2005 trip to Ankara which coincided with a Turkish
fishing boat incident near the disputed Imia/Kardak islet,
Bakoyannis called it embarrassing for Molyviatis -- anything
similar during the PM's visit would be a "catastrophe." To
have a visit, she concluded, we must be assured there will be
a good political atmosphere, no untoward events and tangible
results.

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BALKANS
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8. (C) Ambassador briefed the FM on efforts to find workable
dates for a joint meeting of the SEECP and the Contact Group.
Bakoyannis agreed that whenever the meeting occurs, UNMIK
should be included, with Kosovar Albanian representatives.

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BMENA
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9. (C) Ambassador referred to former FM Molyviatis' support
for the President's BMENA policy initiatives and his offer to
use Athens as a venue for democratization efforts in the
Middle East. Ambassador said we hoped we could work together
on such ideas, noting Greece's financial support for the
Foundation for the Future. Bakoyannis was in listening mode,
but the former Mayor was clearly positive on the idea of
showcasing Athens' democratic heritage in some way.
Ambassador also took the opportunity to reiterate how closely
Greece and the U.S. will be working on the UNSC and the full
range of global issues, such as Hamas, Syria and Iraq.

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TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
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10. (C) Explaining that the reporting deadline for the 2006
TIP report was fast approaching (March 1),Ambassador
emphasized the central role played by the MFA. In
particular, the MFA's National Coordinator was due to depart
Athens for a diplomatic assignment, and would need to be
replaced. Bakoyannis agreed, and said that she was very
involved in the TIP issue since her days as Mayor, and was
expecting to have new "good news" for us on this agenda,
perhaps even by March 1.

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IBB/KAVALA
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11. (C) Ambassador told Bakoyannis that the Embassy would
soon send a diplomatic note to the MFA conveying the IBB's
decision to close the Kavala station. He assured the FM that
the USG was committed to taking care of the IBB's Kavala
employees, and to make arrangements to protect the
environment if the facility is to be deactivated. Ambassador
noted he would be meeting next week with state broadcaster
ERT to see if it wold be interested in taking over, or
adapting, the facility. Bakoyannis said she had already
received letters of complaints from the citizens of the area,
protesting the rumored closure. NOTE: An IBB delegation will
discuss closure with IBB/Kavala staff on February 24. END
NOTE.

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VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
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12. (C) Bakoyannis told Ambassador there was one thing the
U.S. could do to have a major impact on anti-Americanism in
Greece: include Greece in the Visa Waiver Program. The
Government had rolled out a new, high-security, biometric
passport, and it had just begun issuing new, equally secure
diplomatic passports. With this development, she said, "the
last argument" for keeping Greece off the VWP had
disappeared. "Everyone you talk to in Greece wants to know
why Greeks need a visa," she said, "and we used to be able to
say we had not gotten the passport right. Now, this is no
longer an excuse we can use."


13. (C) Ambassador agreed the new passport was
state-of-the-art, and an important milestone in getting
Greece's participation in the VWP reviewed. As yet, the
Department of Homeland Security had not begun a process to
review possible new VWP-participating countries. It would be
important to work together on this issue, and to discuss it
in Washington with the State Department, the Department of
Homeland Security and on the Hill.


14. (C) COMMENT: "Dora" is an old and close friend of the
Embassy and we are optimistic that her transition to the
Foreign Ministry will have the kind of results that she
herself says she wants. Largely in listening mode at this
first meeting, FM Bakoyannis nevertheless expressed
enthusiasm for working closely with the USG. She shrugged
off accusations by the Greek media that she is "the
Americans' choice." Referring to some of the media coverage,
she asked "Did you see the front page picture of me coming
out through the American flag? That doesn't bother me," she
said. Bakoyannis was also comfortable with her lack of
diplomatic expertise, although she made clear she was
studying briefing papers nonstop. She admitted openly she
was not a diplomat -- "I'm a simple politician who will try
to be diplomatic." Her style, she said, was to be open and
frank and results-oriented. It's a style we should like.
END COMMENT.
Ries