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