REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON GREEK AMENDMENTS LINKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000268

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PREL NATO GR MK
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON GREEK AMENDMENTS LINKING
MACEDONIAN NATO ACCESSION TO NAME ISSUE

REF: 4/19/07 USNATO JONES E-MAIL TO EUR/RPM VOVCHUK

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Richard G. Olson for reason 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (U) This is a request for guidance. Please see para 7.


2. (C) SUMMARY. Negotiations among NATO Allies over the
text of the 2006-2007 report on Macedonia's progress under
the Membership Action Plan (MAP) hit an impasse April 24 over
Greek amendments that link the dispute over Macedonia's name
with its application for NATO membership. Several Allies
objected to the linkage and three compromise proposals were
tabled, although none won consensus. USNATO requests
guidance in time for the next meeting of the NATO Senior
Political Committee to discuss the report on April 26. END
SUMMARY.


3. (C) During an April 24 meeting of NATO's Senior
Political Committee (reinforced) to review the text of a
report on Macedonia's progress in the MAP for 2006-2007,
Greece insisted on several amendments that linked the
resolution of its dispute with Macedonia over its name to
Macedonia's NATO membership prospects. As reported reftel,
Greece had proposed amending a sentence referring to the name
issue that had previously read "A mutually acceptable
solution to this outstanding issue will contribute to the
further stabilization of the region" to read "In view of the
country's final preparations for accession to NATO, a
mutually acceptable solution to this outstanding issue will
contribute to the further stabilization of the region and
will promote compliance with the Alliance's enlargement
principle of good-neighborly relations."


4. (C) The UK, supported by the Netherlands, Germany,
Norway, Turkey, and the U.S., objected to the linkage the
amendments drew between the name issue and Macedonia's
application for NATO membership. The Greek representative
said that while Greece did not intend to make resolution of
the name issue an additional criteria for Macedonia's NATO
accession, it wanted to send a message about the seriousness
of the need to resolve the issue.


5. (C) Three proposals were tabled, although none won
consensus. The Netherlands proposed taking out the word
"enlargement". The UK proposed deleting the phrase "In view
of the country's final preparations for accession to NATO"
and the word "enlargement". The U.S. proposed deleting the
phrase "In view of the country's final preparations for
accession to NATO" and all references to the Alliance
principle on good neighborly relations so the final clause
would read "and will promote good neighborly-relations." The
U.S. argued the UK proposal did not go far enough since the
Alliance principle of good neighborly relations was
well-known to relate to enlargement so an implied connection
between the name issue and NATO membership was still present
in the UK text. The U.S. suggested Greece focus on
strengthening wording calling for a resolution to the name
issue as a way to improve regional stability and remove any
language linking the issue to NATO accession.


6. (C) In response to the proposals, Greece said it could
agree to remove the word "enlargement" (the Dutch proposal)
or delete the opening phrase, but not both.


7. (C) The SPC(R) will meet again on Thursday, April 26 in
an attempt to reach agreement on the report in time for the
North Atlantic Council meeting with Macedonia on May 9 to
discuss it. USNATO requests guidance for the April 26
meeting. A read-out on other outstanding issues in the draft
report as well as the marked-up text have been sent
separately by e-mail to EUR/RPM.
NULAND