Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ATHENS227
2008-02-20 05:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

GREECE: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

Tags:  PREL KPAO YI KV KMDR GR 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000227 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO YI KV KMDR GR
SUBJECT: GREECE: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000227

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO YI KV KMDR GR
SUBJECT: GREECE: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE


1. Summary and Introduction: News of Kosovo's declaration of
independence this weekend arrived during a rare heavy snowfall in
Athens, simultaneous with surprising results from the elections in
Cyprus and just ahead of another round of negotiations on the
Macedonia name issue. In this heavy environment, the Greek media
has been reporting regularly and factually on developments in
Pristina and Belgrade, giving roughly equal prominence to images of
Kosovar Albanians waving American and Albanian flags as they
celebrated, and to pictures of Serbians burning the blue and yellow
flag of the new state the following day. Reports are giving roughly
equal time to the EU's "split" on the matter, U.S. recognition, and
Russia's positions. Alongside a moderate amount of what we would
characterize as cautiously apprehensive analysis and commentary,
Ambassador Speckhard's op-ed entitled "A Better Future for
Kosovo...and its Neighbors" appeared in independent, influential
Kathimerini on Sunday.


2. As usual, depending on their partisan affiliations, major
newspapers' headlines reflect Greek positions articulated Monday by
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis after the special E Ministerial in
Brussels, or PASOK leader Geoge Papandreou during a meeting of the
opposition party's Political Coordinating Council. Bakoyannis said
among other things that Greece would decide on Kosovo's recognition
"at a later stage," and stressed the need for stability. She also
indicated Greece would participate in the EU force. Papandreou
reportedly said, according to two major papers, that Greece should
not recognize Kosovo, and expressed concern about the consequences
of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. End Summary and
Introduction.


3. Indicative, locally-produced news analysis and commentary were
as follows. No lead editorials have appeared so far.


A. To Vima (centrist, opposition) front-page lead headline:
"Commotion in the Balkans: The Phantom of 'the danger from the
North'...The Skopje and the Kosovo Dominos. PM Karamanlis Mulling
over All-Party Leadership Meeting. EU is Split, Russia's Reaction."
Text: "The phantom of the 'danger from the North' is revisiting
the Balkans, fueling concern in Greece. This time it does not take

the form of the Warsaw Pact, but of the instability that is
generated by the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence and
the lingering issue of the name for Skopje. Greek diplomacy faces
crucial decisions."

In a separate story, To Vima reports that PM Karamanlis and German
Chancellor Merkel had a telephone conversation last Saturday on
Kosovo and the policy the EU should follow. Merkel, who telephoned
Karamanlis, the paper says, informed him "of her government's
decision not to recognize Kosovo immediately. Karamanlis told
Merkel the Greek government would not rush to take any decisions in
anticipation of the EU Summit of March 14."


B. Kathimerini (influential, independent) front-page story above the
fold: "EU Split over Kosovo. U.S. Recognizes it Formally; Russia,
China Disagree." Text: "While American President Bush reaffirmed
his support for Kosovo's independence and Secretary of State Rice
later announced the creation of a new state, Pristina's unilateral
act divides the EU and the UN. Turkey rushed to recognize Kosovo
yesterday ... Russia and China voiced their strong concern,
underlining the division at the Security Council." The paper
continues with reporting from its Moscow correspondent Achilleas
Patsoukas under the title: "Moscow Enraged, Warns of Domino
Effect."

In a commentary entitled "Dangerous Precedent," Kathimerini senior
analyst Stavros Lygeros writes: "The decision on Kosovo's unilateral
declaration was taken by Washington last spring. It was taken when
it was made clear that the Ahtisaari Plan had no chance of being
ratified by the Security Council because of the Russian veto.
Initially, Americans believed Moscow was negotiating in order to
secure tradeoffs on other fronts. When they realized their mistake
they turned to deviating from international legality ... Countries
with minorities and with irredentist movements justifiably believe
that Kosovo's recognition paves a dangerous way. Their turn may
come one day ... This issue concerns Hellenism directly. Sooner or
later Kosovo's independence will be used as a pretext for the
recognition of the Cypriot fake state. However, Turkey is not
positioned to win. It is also positioned to lose because of the
Kosovo precedent. The latter facilitates the creation of a Kurdish
state in northern Iraq and provides the legal basis for the
irredentist views of Kurds in Turkey."

In a different commentary entitled "American Insistence," Professor
Thanos Veremis also says in Kathimerini: "Kosovo's independence was
expected. What is impressive is the American insistence that
Kosovars' self-determination is a unique case among the plethora of
relevant requests put forth by similar entities. One of the reasons
that makes America's commitment to Kosovo's independence problematic
is that it provokes Russia's Putin to again take on the Great Power
role in the Balkans ... Russian fears that stem primarily from the
emancipation of Chechnya may be confirmed also in the case of
Republica Srpska ... Greece has adopted a wait-and-see stance in
view of Nimetz's final proposal [on the Macedonia name issue]. If

ATHENS 00000227 002 OF 002


the solution is satisfactory, and the American support obviou, then
Greece may join the EU countries that ill recognize Kosovo ... The
question of why he USG insists on this issue [Kosovo] remains
nanswered. If it is a quid pro quo with the Middle East Muslims,
then Mr. Bush has added one more rash action to the many he has
already committed."


C. Eleftherotypia (left-of-centr, opposition) headlines: "EU
Recognitions at ill." The paper also prints its Moscow
correspondent Thanassis Avgherinos's dispatch entitled: "Russia
Threatens to Recognize Abkhazia,South Ossetia, and Transdniester."
In commentry, a Deutsche Welle editorial entitled "Centrifgal
Forces" appears, concluding: "Only when borders are abolished and
Serbia and Kosovo are equal EU members will stability and peace
prevail in the region. There is a long way to get there."


D. Ethnos (left-of-center, opposition) has a two-page spread inside
headline: "Bush Gives the Signal for a Barrage of Recognitions,
While Moscow Fights for Kosovo at the UN." The spread includes a
picture of Kosovar Albanians holding a banner that reads: "Without
Kosovo and Chameria there is no Albania - Independence to Kosovo."
The caption reads in part: "Kosovo's unilateral declaration of
independence feeds extreme elements, threatening stability in the
entire region. The scene with the banner traveled all over the
world through CNN."


E. Eleftheros Typos (centrist) carries a story headlined: "Concern
over a Separatist Domino." In an accompanying story, the paper
says: "The specter of [recognition of] the fake state in [northern]
Cyprus prompted by the statements of Russians and Serbs, in tandem
with Ankara's policy that engenders separatist trends in Thrace,
forces Athens to adopt a wait-and-see stance. Athens will keep its
cards close for as long as it takes, but as diplomatic sources have
affirmed, it will not vindicate the expectation of Belgrade that
would like support from the Karamanlis government."

SPECKHARD