CFE GREECE: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUEST

UNCLAS ATHENS 000651 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL NATO KCFE GR SUBJECT: CFE GREECE: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUEST ¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. DEPARTMENT SEE PARA 2. ¶2. (SBU) U.S. delegation led by DAS Karin L. Look concluded with Greek counterparts the text of the political commitment (NOTE: referred to as an "arrangement" in the final text. END NOTE) that will govern the exchange of CFE Treaty entitlements that will allow the United States to deploy Treaty-limited equipment in Romania and Bulgaria for exercises and training beginning in July 2007. Request Washington review and approve text (see para 3 below) no later than close of business Washington time today, Thursday, March 29. Washington reply should instruct Embassy Athens to provide diplomatic note to the Greek government indicating acceptance. ¶3. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF ARRANGEMENT: VERBAL NOTE The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and with reference to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990, as amended by the Document of May 31, 1996, agreed among the States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990 (hereinafter referred to as the "CFE Treaty") and the request of the United States of America for the temporary transfer of a number of CFE entitlements to hold armaments and equipment limited by the CFE Treaty, has the honour to propose the following, which reflects consultations held between the Greek and American delegations during the course of 2006 and 2007: The Hellenic Republic, having considered in a positive spirit the request of the United States of America for the transfer of CFE Treaty flank zone entitlements in order to accommodate rotational activities of the armed forces of the United States of America at facilities in Romania and Bulgaria, is prepared to assist and to transfer the following number of CFE ground entitlements: 10 battle tanks, 91 armoured combat vehicles, and 10 pieces of artillery The aforementioned entitlements are to be transferred under the following terms: ¶1. The Hellenic Republic issues notifications under the CFE Treaty, thereby permitting the United States of America to hold the number of ground entitlements listed above in that portion of the area of application covered by Article V of the Treaty. ¶2. The United States of America issues notifications under the CFE Treaty, thereby permitting the Hellenic Republic to hold for each category an equal number of ground entitlements as listed above in that portion of the area of application covered by Article IV paragraph 2 of the Treaty. ¶3. The appropriate notifications are to be issued in a way that does not change the national maximum level of holdings, referred to in CFE Treaty Article VII, for either the Hellenic Republic or the United States of America. The notifications are to be issued not later than ten days after completion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization approval process. ¶4. These entitlements are exchanged on a temporary basis. The United States of America declares its willingness to return the entitlements when it has determined that it has no further need for them. ¶5. The entitlements received by the United States of America may be transferred only on a temporary basis for training and exercises to other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that are also members of the second or "western" group of States Parties as defined in Article II, paragraph 1(A) of the CFE Treaty and are not situated in the flank zone of Article V of the CFE Treaty, in which case the original donor state is to be notified in advance. The entitlements received by the Hellenic Republic may be transferred only on a temporary basis for training and exercises to other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that are also members of the second or "western" group of States Parties as defined in Article II, paragraph 1(A) of the CFE Treaty, in which case the original donor state is to be notified in advance. ¶6. The Hellenic Republic and the United States of America commit to hold consultations in order to review the operation and the necessity of keeping in force this agreement within twenty-four (24) months from the date it becomes effective and thereafter once every year. Consultations are also to take place upon the request of either government. The request may be based upon any change in circumstances or events that causes the requesting government to conclude that consultations are necessary, including any desire to modify by mutual consent this agreement. ¶7. The retransfer of the entitlements specified above is to take place before the entry into force of the Agreement on Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, signed on November 19, 1999, in Istanbul. Once that Agreement adapts the CFE Treaty, the United States of America does not require further use of the transferred entitlements. The entitlements are to be returned during the ten-day period specified in paragraph 3 of Article 31 of the Agreement on Adaptation that is initiated through the acceptance by the Depositary of the last instrument of ratification necessary to bring the Agreement on Adaptation into force. In such a case, both the Hellenic Republic and the United States of America are to issue appropriate notifications under the CFE Treaty so that the entitlements are returned within that same ten-day period. ¶8. Either State may at any time temporarily suspend or terminate the application of this agreement in accordance with the following procedure: (A) The suspending or terminating State is to provide notice of suspension or termination to the other State, whenever it considers that extraordinary circumstances so require. The suspending or terminating State is to specify the number and the type of entitlements subject to the suspension or termination. (B) Both States are to take all steps necessary for the expeditious return of the CFE Treaty entitlements exchanged pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 no later than ten days after receipt of the notice of suspension or termination. The same procedure is to be followed in the case of the withdrawal of a suspension. All notices are to be provided in writing through diplomatic channels. If the above is acceptable, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic proposes that this note together with the affirmative note in reply of the Embassy of the United States of America constitute an arrangement between the two States that becomes effective on the date of the reply note. END TEXT OF ARRANGEMENT ¶4. (SBU) This message was cleared by the CFE delegation headed by DAS Karin L. Look. RIES