Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NICOSIA700
2007-08-28 09:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Nicosia
Cable title:
NEW INTERIOR MINISTER COMMITTED TO FIGHT TIP
how-toVZCZCXRO1818 RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHNC #0700 2400927 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 280927Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8115 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0936 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS NICOSIA 000700
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, G/TIP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN KPAO PHUM PREL PGOV SMIG CY
SUBJECT: NEW INTERIOR MINISTER COMMITTED TO FIGHT TIP
REF: A. NICOSIA 661
B. NICOSIA 613 NICOSIA 519
UNCLAS NICOSIA 000700
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, G/TIP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN KPAO PHUM PREL PGOV SMIG CY
SUBJECT: NEW INTERIOR MINISTER COMMITTED TO FIGHT TIP
REF: A. NICOSIA 661
B. NICOSIA 613 NICOSIA 519
1. (U) Combatting trafficking in persons ranked amongst his
highest priorities, Republic of Cyprus Interior Minister
Christos Patsalides, just six weeks in office, informed the
Ambassador August 24. Prior experience as a professor of
European Union law had made him aware of the international
condemnation of TIP, and from his position at the head of
Cyprus's lead anti-trafficking ministry, he was determined
the Republic would meet its international commitments. As
proof, he highlighted Cyprus's recently signed trafficking
law, which harmonized Cypriot legislation with the EU Acquis
and other international instruments (Ref A) and fulfilled one
element of its national anti-TIP action plan (Ref B).
Patsalides noted progress on a second front as well: the
government had concluded the hiring process to staff its
victims' shelter and had begun physical renovation of the
shelter site. Uncomfortable he could not proffer an expected
completion/opening date, the Minister ordered his assistant
to canvass working-level interagency contacts to obtain this
information.
2. (U) Last, but promising nonetheless, Patsalides repeated
one of the first messages he had received from President
Tassos Papadopoulos upon taking Interior's reins. The
government must investigate ways to abolish the "artiste"
worker classification utilized by many impresarios to import
women for work in Cyprus's notorious cabarets and nightclubs,
Papadopoulos had demanded. His Greek counterpart recently
had received a similar, high-level tasking and crafted a
workable solution, Patsalides revealed, and he intended to
mine the GoG's ideas liberally.
3. (U) At the impromptu press conference that followed, the
Minister emphasized the imperative of an international TIP
fight. Cyprus had taken positive steps, he asserted,
pointing to the new law and other measures, but much work
remained undone. Media gave wide coverage August 25 and 26
to Patsalides's remarks.
4. (SBU) Comment: Patsalides seemed sincere in his
determination to combat TIP. As a Euro-phile, he cannot be
comfortable with Cyprus's last-place finish among EU
member-states on the Department's trafficking ranking, a
number we intend to drop liberally in our MoI follow-up.
First in line for Embassy attention is the long-sought
establishment of the victims' shelter. If it means opening
the building even one day sooner, we'll strap on our own tool
belts to help in construction.
SCHLICHER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, G/TIP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN KPAO PHUM PREL PGOV SMIG CY
SUBJECT: NEW INTERIOR MINISTER COMMITTED TO FIGHT TIP
REF: A. NICOSIA 661
B. NICOSIA 613 NICOSIA 519
1. (U) Combatting trafficking in persons ranked amongst his
highest priorities, Republic of Cyprus Interior Minister
Christos Patsalides, just six weeks in office, informed the
Ambassador August 24. Prior experience as a professor of
European Union law had made him aware of the international
condemnation of TIP, and from his position at the head of
Cyprus's lead anti-trafficking ministry, he was determined
the Republic would meet its international commitments. As
proof, he highlighted Cyprus's recently signed trafficking
law, which harmonized Cypriot legislation with the EU Acquis
and other international instruments (Ref A) and fulfilled one
element of its national anti-TIP action plan (Ref B).
Patsalides noted progress on a second front as well: the
government had concluded the hiring process to staff its
victims' shelter and had begun physical renovation of the
shelter site. Uncomfortable he could not proffer an expected
completion/opening date, the Minister ordered his assistant
to canvass working-level interagency contacts to obtain this
information.
2. (U) Last, but promising nonetheless, Patsalides repeated
one of the first messages he had received from President
Tassos Papadopoulos upon taking Interior's reins. The
government must investigate ways to abolish the "artiste"
worker classification utilized by many impresarios to import
women for work in Cyprus's notorious cabarets and nightclubs,
Papadopoulos had demanded. His Greek counterpart recently
had received a similar, high-level tasking and crafted a
workable solution, Patsalides revealed, and he intended to
mine the GoG's ideas liberally.
3. (U) At the impromptu press conference that followed, the
Minister emphasized the imperative of an international TIP
fight. Cyprus had taken positive steps, he asserted,
pointing to the new law and other measures, but much work
remained undone. Media gave wide coverage August 25 and 26
to Patsalides's remarks.
4. (SBU) Comment: Patsalides seemed sincere in his
determination to combat TIP. As a Euro-phile, he cannot be
comfortable with Cyprus's last-place finish among EU
member-states on the Department's trafficking ranking, a
number we intend to drop liberally in our MoI follow-up.
First in line for Embassy attention is the long-sought
establishment of the victims' shelter. If it means opening
the building even one day sooner, we'll strap on our own tool
belts to help in construction.
SCHLICHER