Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NICOSIA1728
2006-10-06 14:53:00
SECRET
Embassy Nicosia
Cable title:
CYPRIOT REPLY TO US SCALE ASSESMENTS DEMARCHE
VZCZCXRO2496 OO RUEHAG DE RUEHNC #1728 2791453 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 061453Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7008 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0643
S E C R E T NICOSIA 001728
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR IO/S, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2016
TAGS: UNGA IO CY
SUBJECT: CYPRIOT REPLY TO US SCALE ASSESMENTS DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Schlicher for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
S E C R E T NICOSIA 001728
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR IO/S, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2016
TAGS: UNGA IO CY
SUBJECT: CYPRIOT REPLY TO US SCALE ASSESMENTS DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Schlicher for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (S) In response to Reftel regarding potential
changes to United Nations scales of assessment, Poloff
October 6 demarched Marios Kountourides, the Cypriot MFA's
deputy director for Multilateral Affairs. Kountourides
claimed the U.S. initiative -- to maintain the cap on
individual nations, assessments at 22 percent -- had some
merit. His personal belief aside, Cyprus intended to fall
in line with other EU member states in seeking to raise the
ceiling to 25 percent.
2. (C) Kountourides offered that, as a "small
country," Cyprus's assessment would not change
dramatically. It was not worth expending valuable
political capital in Brussels to dissent, since the EU's
"big countries" had decided to pursue a change. He added
that Cyprus often played the "reliable partner" role,
supporting the EU consensus in order to garner member
states, support on the Cyprus problem.
3. (C) Kountourides also believed the EU's Finnish
Presidency favored a compromise of raising the ceiling to
25 percent, as the U.K. proposal outlined, but agreeing to
the use of the 3-year average of the Gross National Income
as the U.S. favored, as opposed to the suggested 6-year
average.
SCHLICHER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR IO/S, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2016
TAGS: UNGA IO CY
SUBJECT: CYPRIOT REPLY TO US SCALE ASSESMENTS DEMARCHE
REF: STATE 153946
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald Schlicher for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)
1. (S) In response to Reftel regarding potential
changes to United Nations scales of assessment, Poloff
October 6 demarched Marios Kountourides, the Cypriot MFA's
deputy director for Multilateral Affairs. Kountourides
claimed the U.S. initiative -- to maintain the cap on
individual nations, assessments at 22 percent -- had some
merit. His personal belief aside, Cyprus intended to fall
in line with other EU member states in seeking to raise the
ceiling to 25 percent.
2. (C) Kountourides offered that, as a "small
country," Cyprus's assessment would not change
dramatically. It was not worth expending valuable
political capital in Brussels to dissent, since the EU's
"big countries" had decided to pursue a change. He added
that Cyprus often played the "reliable partner" role,
supporting the EU consensus in order to garner member
states, support on the Cyprus problem.
3. (C) Kountourides also believed the EU's Finnish
Presidency favored a compromise of raising the ceiling to
25 percent, as the U.K. proposal outlined, but agreeing to
the use of the 3-year average of the Gross National Income
as the U.S. favored, as opposed to the suggested 6-year
average.
SCHLICHER