GREECE WANTS TO ATTEND SIGNING OF INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS ATHENS 000763 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EFIN PGOV PREL GR SUBJECT: GREECE WANTS TO ATTEND SIGNING OF INTERNATIONAL COMPACT WITH IRAQ REF: SECSTATE 47346 ¶1. (SBU) On April 12, DepPolCouns delivered reftel points on the signing of the International Compact with Iraq to Greek MFA D1 International Organizations Directorate deputy chief Ambassador Alexandros Rallis then followed up with acting deputy chief of the A7 Directorate for Arab and Middle East Affairs Ioannis Pediotis. Pediotis said Greece had not yet received an invitation either from the UN or the Iraqis to the May 3 signing conference, though his government was interested in attending. He mentioned that FM Dora Bakoyannis might herself attend, if invited. ¶2. (SBU) Pediotis took the opportunity to describe the contributions the Greek MFA and its General Division for International Development (YDAS) had made to Iraq since 2002. Pediotis said the MFA had contributed more than 14.5 million euros to Iraq, three million of which went to the UNDP trust fund (500K for elections, 600K for general development projects, and 1.9M for de-mining). The remainder (11.5M) represented bilateral assistance to Iraq focused on: health, education, de-mining, emergency situations relief, and aid to vulnerable women and children. ¶3. (SBU) Pediotis underscored that these contributions represented only those undertaken through the MFA. He said Greeks were generous in giving to humanitarian causes, and it was possible that private Greek organizations had also contributed substantial sums in addition to the MFA amounts. NOTE: In 2004-2005, Greece also contributed 500K euros to the UN trust fund for protection of UN forces in Iraq and is considering doing so again following the December 2006 appeal by the UN SYG. In the last 18 months, the Greek MOD has contributed 100 former East German armored personnel carriers to the Iraqi army, provided training in Athens for five Iraqi physicians, and trained 30 Iraqi military personnel in Bulgaria for two weeks last August. END NOTE. RIES