GREECE/MACEDONIA: GREEK NAME NEGOTIATOR BRIEFS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001575 SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/SE AND EUR/SCE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EU MK GR SUBJECT: GREECE/MACEDONIA: GREEK NAME NEGOTIATOR BRIEFS DIPLOMATIC CORPS ON ICJ CASE REF: ATHENS 1569 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: DCM Deborah McCarthy for 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) In a hastily arranged November 19 briefing for all NATO and EU Diplomatic Missions and the European Commission Representative, Greek name negotiator Adamantios Vassilakis made the following points: -- Greece intends to continue to work on a solution under the auspices of UN Envoy Nimetz on the name issue. -- Greece understands that "the other side" is also willing to continue discussions. -- Greece has been in touch with Nimitz and believes that he will continue his efforts and that there will be an upcoming meeting/contact. -- The specific case filed against Greece is only over one article of the Interim Accord - Article 11 (NOTE: In this article, Greece "reserves the right to object" to Macedonia's membership in international, multilateral, and regional organizations and institutions if Macedonia seeks to be referred to in the organization under any name other than the interim name of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." END NOTE). -- The issue of the name itself cannot be considered by the ICJ. That is ruled out by the Interim Accord in Article 21 (NOTE: Article 21 states that differences in the implementation of the Interim Accord can be referred to the ICJ with the exception of the "differences referred to in Article 5, paragraph 1." Article 5, paragraph 1 is the provision of the Interim Accord in which the parties agreed to continue negotiations on the name itself under UN auspices. END NOTE). -- The GOG has "not yet determined its legal position on the ICJ case," but will defend itself at the ICJ. ¶2. (SBU) Amb. Vassilakis reviewed the latest well known Greek public positions on key aspects of the discussion. He indicated that Greece intends to continue to work to find a solution. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson who was also present termed the latest round of talks as containing "ideas which could lead to a text with the perspective of a solution." ¶3. (C) In a private conversation with DCM following the briefing, Vassilakis said that he expects Nimetz-led name negotiations to resume "next month." Vassilakis added that he would be in the United States for the Thanksgiving period, and he would call Nimetz in New York during that time. SPECKHARD