CYPRUS: CITES COP 14 PREPARATION

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000422 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SE AND OES/ETS (ROWENA WATSON) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KSCA ETRD CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS: CITES COP 14 PREPARATION REFS: (A) STATE 59536, (B) STATE 57912 (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Per reftel requests, Post delivered on May 8 reftel demarches on the 14 Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to Alexandros Zenon, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We also sent copies to Panicos Pouros, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, and Antonis Antoniou, Acting Director of the Environment Service. ¶2. (SBU) On May 15, Antoniou, informed us that Cyprus was not planning to attend the CITES COP 14. Although one of the first countries to ratify CITES (in June 1974),currently Cyprus is not very active on CITES issues. In general, Cyprus follows EU consensus on CITES and does not take an active role in forming that consensus. Nevertheless, Antoniou noted that the GOC had no objection to the USG proposals for the various species listings, including for the bobcat, sawfish, pink and red corals, and other marine proposals. SCHLICHER