DRAFT GREEK LETTER ON CYPRUS ARMS PLAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000385 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017 TAGS: MARR MASS NATO PREL PGOV GR SUBJECT: DRAFT GREEK LETTER ON CYPRUS ARMS PLAN REF: A. 2006 SECSTATE 165770 ¶B. 2006 ATHENS 2884 ¶C. ATHENS 110 Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES RIES. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) On February 22, MFA General Secretary Charalambros Rocanas provided Ambassador with a draft copy of a letter outlining GoG plans to resolve the issue of the illegal transfer of U.S.-origin arms to Cyprus (text of draft letter in para 3 below). Rocanas proposed that, if the draft were acceptable to the U.S., the GoG would ask Ambassador to draft a response -- also to be shared unofficially in advance -- expressing U.S. acceptance of the plan and stating that implementation and verification of the changes in the disposition of the U.S.-origin equipment would resolve the equipment retransfer issue that the Department reported to Congress in 2004. ¶2. (C) Embassy requests Department opinion on the Greek draft text below and guidance on Ambassadorial response. ¶3. (C) BEGIN TEXT OF GREEK DRAFT LETTER: It is hereby confirmed that the defense articles at issue will be placed in facilities under exclusive Greek command and control. Wherever Greek units with U.S. equipment are co-located with Cypriot equipment in Cypriot facilities, the Greek units will be clearly separated by fence and will be placed under exclusive Greek command-control and guarding. Any warehoused material will be under exclusive Greek command and control, which will be maintained after removal from storage. The additional personnel needed to cover the command and manning/maintenance of the aforementioned material will not exceed the number of 300 men. All necessary measures for the implementation of the above arrangements are well scheduled, as may be confirmed later on, through visits in situ by U.S. authorized personnel, which will be facilitated, whenever requested. It is understood that the above arrangement will lead to the lifting of the restrictions imposed on U.S. grants and arms sales to Greece. END TEXT OF DRAFT LETTER. RIES