C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001070

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SE AND NEA/ELA

E.O.12958: DECL: 07/24/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV SY LE EU RS TU NO SW
SUBJECT: GREECE/SYRIA: GREEK VIEWS ON DEALING WITH THE SARG

REF: . STATE 78880

B. ATHENS 802

Classifie By: A/Political Counselor Jeff Hovenier for 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) A/Pol Counselor delivered ref A points on the Syrian
Arab Republic Government (SARG) on 7/24 to George Ayfandis,
acting Director of the MFA A-6 Directorate for Arab Countries
and the Middle East. Ayfandis said that Greece shared U.S.
concerns about the SARG, highlighting, in particular, Syrian
"misbehavior" in Lebanon, support for Hizballah, and
"intractable behavior" related to the Golon Heights. He
added that the GOG believed the SARG had been pressing
Hizballah to take (unspecified) action against UNIFIL - a
mission in which Greek forces are deployed. Ayfandis noted
that during French President Sarkozy's recent visit to Athens
(ref B), he had raised Syria with PM Karamanlis and FM
Bakoyannis, and the Greeks had perceived that Sarkozy was
"quite focused" on Syria, but "perplexed about what to do."


2. (C) Ayfandis also suggested that Turkey should be "more
realistic" about Syria, noting that the Turks have not been
"sufficiently critical" in their relations with Syria.


3. (C) Ayfandis said that the "EU has a problem with Syria,
because it has a problem in Lebanon." However, he was
skeptical that the EU would be taking decisions related to
Syria anytime soon. Taking a long-term perspective, he said
much would depend on signals related to the Middle East, and
Syria in particular, during the U.S. election campaign and
the views of the next administration.
SPECKHARD