NEXT ROUND BEGINS: 505 AND BLANKET ASSURANCES

UNCLAS ATHENS 000334 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS L/T DAPHNE COOK, PM/PPA RACHEL FEATHERSTONE, PM/RSAT BERNETTA LEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MASS PGOV PREL KPKO KTIA GR SUBJECT: NEXT ROUND BEGINS: 505 AND BLANKET ASSURANCES TEXTS DELIVERED REF: A. SECSTATE 17068 ¶B. 06 SECSTATE 181601 ¶1. (SBU) In a meeting with Greg Vassiloconstantakis, acting head of MFA North America directorate, DepPolCouns and ODC officer delivered reftel End-User Agreement texts. Vassiloconstantakis promised to pass the texts immediately to both his political leadership and MFA legal experts. Hazarding a guess on when the agreements could be finalized, Vassiloconstantakis said that they might be completed by the end of March. He noted that the legal department would have standard legal concerns, while the MFA political leadership might have questions about whether Turkish and Italian delays indicated problems in texts about which Greece should also be concerned. ¶2. (SBU) Vassiloconstantakis also questioned the applicability of the new agreement to counterterrorism efforts within the scope of NATO,s Operation Active Endeavor. Embassy would appreciate guidance on a response. RIES