GAERC DEMARCHE: GREECE EXPECTS "NO DECISIONS"

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000346 SIPDIS SIPDIS ZAGREB ALSO FOR BELGRADE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV EU ZL PK AFIN ZI IR GG IS SY LE GR SUBJECT: GAERC DEMARCHE: GREECE EXPECTS "NO DECISIONS" REF: STATE 22352 Classified By: A/Political Counselor Jeff Hovenier for 1.4 (b) and (d) (C) A/Political Counselor delivered reftel points March 5 in advance of the March 10 - 11 GAERC meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to Antonia Katzoulou, the GAERC coordinator in the MFA A11 Directorate for Commmon Foreign and Security Policy. After reviewing the points, Katzoulou told us March 6 that Greece believes "this GAERC will not take any decisions." She termed the U.S. points "helpful," adding that most were "well known positions." She said that the COREPER is still ongoing, and it may decide to defer discussion of Afghanistan and Pakistan to the April GAERC. Her only substantive comment was on the U.S. request related to Iranian sanctions. She noted that the U.S. had asked that the EU adopt the new UN sanctions as quickly as possible, and that the EU sanctions go beyond the specific lists of individuals and entities designated in the new UNSCR and to make mandatory the voluntary provisions in the UNSCR. Katzoulou said she could not predict how the GAERC discussion would go, but said that Greece believes it best to assess implementation of the new UNSCR before deciding on any additional EU sanctions. SPECKHARD