GREECE POSITIVE ON EU MISSION FOR LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001866 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR NEA/ELA - MATTHEW IRWIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL SY IS LE EUN GR SUBJECT: GREECE POSITIVE ON EU MISSION FOR LEBANON REF: STATE 128335 Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville for 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) We delivered reftel points to the Greek MFA's Penny Douti, Deputy Director of the MFA Directorate for Common Foreign and Security Policy. After reviewing the points, Douti termed them "right," and "fully consistent" with the Greek position on this issue. ¶2. (C) Douti cautioned that the PSC only began consideration of the Spanish proposal on Friday, September 14. She further cautioned that the process of getting to an actual EU Border Mission is likely to be lengthy. She predicted that the PSC would likely take a decision by the end of this week to send a fact-finding mission to the region to look into the possibility of the establishment of an EU mission. Follow-on activity would depend on the mission's findings. ¶3. (C) Douti concluded by expressing interest in any possible U.S. financial and technical assistance to an eventual EU mission in the region. She also reiterated that Greece supports entirely the view that any such mission should be "Lebanon and not Syria-focused." COUNTRYMAN