GREECE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE CONTRIBUTION TO SPECIAL

UNCLAS ATHENS 001890 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE IO/UNP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC LE PTER GR SUBJECT: GREECE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE CONTRIBUTION TO SPECIAL LEBANON TRIBUNAL REF: SECSTATE 129919 ¶1. (SBU) On September 18, DePolCouns and PolOff delivered reftel demarche encouraging Greece to make a contribution to the special Tribunal for Lebanon to Ambassador Alexandros Rallis, deputy head of the MFA D1 Directorate for International Organizations. Rallis said Greece recognized the importance of the tribunal and that he had already made a recommendation to his minister to offer a donation. Rallis said he argued that offering a contribution, however small -- "even if it's just one euro" -- was an important symbolic gesture of support for justice in Lebanon. While Rallis believed that Greece would make some contribution, he was unable to say at what level. COUNTRYMAN