CYPRUS ARMS: LETTERS EXCHANGED - GREEKS REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002271

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS NATO CY GR TU
SUBJECT: CYPRUS ARMS: LETTERS EXCHANGED - GREEKS REPORT
WORK COMPLETED

REF: A. STATE 159344

B. ATHENS 2026

Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville
for 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Greek MOD officials report that Greece has
substantially resolved all remaining issues related to the
presence in Cyprus of defense articles provided by the United
States to Greece. A few remaining steps will be completed
this week -- primarily removal of 5 M88s that were provided
to Greece by the United States pursuant to agreements entered
into after December 22, 1987 and provision of written
material. On the basis of these consultations, Embassy
Athens and the Greek MFA have exchanged letters, as
instructed ref A. End Summary.

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Update on Cyprus Arms Outstanding Issues
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2. (C) PolMil Chief met 11/26 with Major General
Kanellopoulos, the Greek General Staff officer overseeing
Greek compliance with U.S. requirements on this issue, and
Ambassador Stoidis, the Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of
Defense. Kanellopoulos, who had just returned from Cyprus,
gave the following updates on the outstanding issues (ref A):

-- Written Description of Security Regime: They have
prepared a draft which should be provided to the USG within
the next week.

-- Written Description of the Organizational Structure of
Greek Units with Access to U.S.-origin Defense Articles in
Cyprus: They have prepared a draft which should be provided
to the USG within the next week.

-- Vehicle Gates: They confirmed all internal vehicle gates
between facilities under Greek control and Cypriot National
Guard control have been removed.

-- Presence of M88 Medium Recovery Vehicles: As requested,
the Greeks reviewed their M88 holdings in Cyprus. They
determined that, contrary to ref B findings, Greece has 5
(and not 4) U.S.-origin M88s on Cyprus -- 4 in Mathiatis and
1 in Aplanta. Furthermore, all 5 M88s currently on Cyprus
were provided by the United States to Greece pursuant to
agreements entered into AFTER December 22, 1987. They
affirmed that Greece will comply with its commitment to the
United States that it will remove all U.S.-origin equipment
on Cyprus provided pursuant to agreements entered into after
December 22, 1987. Therefore all 5 M88s will be removed from
Cyprus within the next week. These 5 M88s will be replaced
by 5 older M88s that the United States provided to Greece
pursuant to agreements entered into prior to December 22,

1987. They have also given us the serial numbers of the 5
M88s currently on Cyprus and those intended to replace them
(e-mailed to EUR/SE and PM/RSAT).

-- Mathiatis: Fencing has been completed.

-- Aplanta: Fencing has been completed. New headquarters
have been completed. New barracks have been completed.

-- Athalassa: Fencing has been completed. A new entry/exit
gate has been constructed and is operational that establishes
a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek control for
access to the U.S.-provided equipment which does not involve
transit through a Cypriot National Guard facility.

-- Polis: Fencing has been completed, to include repair of
the two vehicle gates that had temporary fencing. The
checkpoint access to the adjoining Cypriot National Guard
facility has been removed and replaced with permanent
fencing.

-- Polemidia: A new entry/exit gate has been constructed and
is operational with direct access to the road, and additional
fencing has been constructed from that gate to the Greek
facility to ensure a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive
Greek control for access to the U.S.-provided equipment which
does not involve transit through a Cypriot National Guard
facility.

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Letters Exchanged
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3. (C) Following these consultations, per ref A we exchanged
letters with the Greek MFA restating the U.S. desiderata and
stating that should the GOG confirm that all of the pending
issues will be addressed in the manner outlined by the U.S.,
the U.S. will consider the matter notified to the U.S.
Congress in 2004 under Section 3 of the Arms Export Control
Act to have been satisfactory resolved. The Greek MFA
response conveys the requisite assurances and does not
deviate from the ref A text (both letters faxed to EUR/SE and
PM/RSAT).
SPECKHARD