Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ATHENS2053
2007-10-15 14:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Athens
Cable title:
GREECE "WON'T BE LAST" EU STATE OPPOSING EU IRAN
how-toVZCZCXRO9718 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV DE RUEHTH #2053 2881423 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 151423Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0524 INFO RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0050 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0253
C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002053
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR XF EUN GR
SUBJECT: GREECE "WON'T BE LAST" EU STATE OPPOSING EU IRAN
SANCTIONS
REF: A. SECSTATE 143223
B. ATHENS 2046
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. THOMAS COUNTRYMAN. REASONS 1.4
(B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002053
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR XF EUN GR
SUBJECT: GREECE "WON'T BE LAST" EU STATE OPPOSING EU IRAN
SANCTIONS
REF: A. SECSTATE 143223
B. ATHENS 2046
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. THOMAS COUNTRYMAN. REASONS 1.4
(B) AND (D).
1. (C) On October 12, Charge delivered ref a points on
French-proposed autonomous EU sanctions on Iran to MFA
Secretary General Aristides Agathokles. Charge emphasized
SIPDIS
that the EU-U.S. common program regarding Iran has been
amongst the most successful examples of EU-U.S. cooperation
in recent years and one in which the U.S. has worked hard to
follow the lead of the EU Three. We had seen evidence that
UN sanctions had gotten the attention of the Iranian
leadership, but as long as Iran could maintain relatively
normal economic relations with Europe, the Iranian leadership
was unlikely to stop its nuclear development program. Thus,
the EU should support not only UN sanctions but parallel EU
sanctions as well.
2. (C) Agathokles granted the force of these arguments and
noted Greece's desire to stop Iran from developing a nuclear
capability. Greece, however, was in a difficult position,
due to its proximity to Iran and to the readiness of Turkey
to step in whenever Greece sided with the EU against Iran or
Syria. Agathokles cited a recent example of Syria's opening
ferry service to Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus following
Greece's decision to join consensus with the EU against Syria
(exact issue unspecified).
3. (C) Charge responded that wh, indeed,
could playot allow its larger
Qbe subverted by the Greek/thokles concluded by noti
not be the last EU me
French-proposed paraIran.
COUNTRYMAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR XF EUN GR
SUBJECT: GREECE "WON'T BE LAST" EU STATE OPPOSING EU IRAN
SANCTIONS
REF: A. SECSTATE 143223
B. ATHENS 2046
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I. THOMAS COUNTRYMAN. REASONS 1.4
(B) AND (D).
1. (C) On October 12, Charge delivered ref a points on
French-proposed autonomous EU sanctions on Iran to MFA
Secretary General Aristides Agathokles. Charge emphasized
SIPDIS
that the EU-U.S. common program regarding Iran has been
amongst the most successful examples of EU-U.S. cooperation
in recent years and one in which the U.S. has worked hard to
follow the lead of the EU Three. We had seen evidence that
UN sanctions had gotten the attention of the Iranian
leadership, but as long as Iran could maintain relatively
normal economic relations with Europe, the Iranian leadership
was unlikely to stop its nuclear development program. Thus,
the EU should support not only UN sanctions but parallel EU
sanctions as well.
2. (C) Agathokles granted the force of these arguments and
noted Greece's desire to stop Iran from developing a nuclear
capability. Greece, however, was in a difficult position,
due to its proximity to Iran and to the readiness of Turkey
to step in whenever Greece sided with the EU against Iran or
Syria. Agathokles cited a recent example of Syria's opening
ferry service to Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus following
Greece's decision to join consensus with the EU against Syria
(exact issue unspecified).
3. (C) Charge responded that wh, indeed,
could playot allow its larger
Qbe subverted by the Greek/thokles concluded by noti
not be the last EU me
French-proposed paraIran.
COUNTRYMAN