GREECE SUPPORTING IRAQI DIPLOMATS WITH TRAINING,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001572 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2018 TAGS: GR IZ PGOV PHUM PREL AF EAID KPAO SUBJECT: GREECE SUPPORTING IRAQI DIPLOMATS WITH TRAINING, WILLING TO DO MORE REF: 07 ATHENS 872 Classified By: DCM DEBORAH MCCARTHY. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) On November 17, the Greek MFA announced that its Diplomatic Academy would be hosting a two-week training program in Athens November 17-28 for ten young Iraqi diplomats. The MFA announcement said the aim of the training was to strengthen friendship and understanding between Greece and Iraq and to provide an opportunity for the Iraqis to exchange views with their Greek counterparts. The training was to be held under the auspices of Hellenic AID and the Hellenic Center for European Studies. ¶2. (C) Hellenic AID Director Ambassador Mercourios Karafotias told us that the training was the brainchild of the MFA A6 Directorate for Middle East Affairs and had been warmly received by other MFA officials, including FM Bakoyannis. Hellenic AID was paying the full cost of the training, which would include a comprehensive program addressing traditional diplomacy and the latest developments and would also include excursions to historical sites. Karafotias said the MFA would make available its "best people" and, if the program was a success, intended to do it again. The Iraqi MFA had selected the participants and the Greeks were not involved in the selection. He also mentioned that if we had any ideas for other such training opportunities or other possible programs, we should let him know because his agency was eager to help. ¶3. (C) We raised the possibility of training Afghan diplomats as well. Karafotias said that was more of a challenge, due to the relative underdevelopment of the Afghan diplomatic corps, which he said was made up primarily of non-professionals from the Afghan diaspora. He also mentioned that he had recently had discussions with the Canadian Ambassador in Athens about joint work in Afghanistan. He expected these opportunities to ratchet up after the first of the year when his agency would receive new funding. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: We continue to face challenges in getting the Greeks to provide combat troops for operations beyond their immediate neighborhood, most notably in Afghanistan. But Greece has made contributions to international community efforts in other ways. The training of Iraqi diplomats is the latest example of Greece's continuing assistance to the Iraqi government (reftel). Greece has provided, among other things, large numbers of armored personnel carriers and large amounts of ammunition to the Iraqi Army, as well as modest levels of training to Iraqi military personnel. The Greeks have also contributed significant humanitarian aid and have forgiven the Iraqi debt. We welcome the Greek decision to provide assistance to the Iraqi MFA as well and will look for opportunities to take the Greeks up on their offer to provide assistance elsewhere. SPECKHARD