PSI: GREECE OBJECTS TO NAME TO BE USED FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000736 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/SCE AND ISN; SECDEF FOR DASD DOUGLAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2018 TAGS: PREL PARM NATO MK GR SUBJECT: PSI: GREECE OBJECTS TO NAME TO BE USED FOR MACEDONIA AT 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT Classified by A/Pol Counselor Jeff Hovenier for 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In a May 28 meeting with DCM, MFA Secretary General Agathocles said Greece would "leave" the PSI fifth anniversary meeting in Washington, should Macedonia be present as "Macedonia" or "Republic of Macedonia." Agathocles said Greece had raised its concerns with how PSI refers to Macedonia with DOD DASD Douglas on the margins of the February 2008 PSI Operational Experts Group (OEG) meeting, and thought that this issue had been resolved. If this is not resolved, Greece will be forced to "leave" the meeting, as to do otherwise could be misconstrued as a change in Greece's position vis-a-vis the name issue. DCM pushed back, suggesting Greece could defend its position by stating on the record at the meeting that its participation is not and should not be construed as a change in the Greek position. The DCM noted the value the U.S. places on Greece's participation in PSI, and urged that Greece remain at the PSI event, should the question of Macedonia's participation not be resolved on Greece's terms. Agathocles said the GOG had considered this option, but had concluded it must "leave" the meeting in the event Macedonia is present as "Macedonia." DCM made clear this meeting is not intended to send a signal either to Skopje or Athens on the name issue, termed any potential Greek departure from the meeting unfortunate, and urged that responses remain low-key, whatever the outcome. Agathocles said Greece would seek to keep the issue low-key, but added that the issue would likely "come out" in public. End Summary. -------------- Greek Concerns with PSI Event -------------- ¶2. (C) Agathocles urgently requested a meeting May 28 in response to reports from the Greek Embassy in Washington that Macedonia would be participating in the May 28 PSI 5- year anniversary event as "Macedonia." Agathocles began the meeting stating that Greece is "astonished" by this development. Agathocles said Amb. Rallis, the head of the Greek delegation to the February 2008 meeting in London of the PSI OEG had met with the head of the U.S. delegation to the OEG, DOD DASD Richard Douglas, and had raised the issue, noting that some PSI documents (including the Department of State's website listing of PSI participating states) had referred to Macedonia as "Macedonia" instead of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." Rallis felt that as a result of this meeting, the issue would be resolved. Therefore, the Greek MFA did not follow up with Embassy Athens or in Washington. ¶3. (C) Agathocles said he had just spoken with Greek Ambassador Mallia`shington, who reported the referred to as "Macedonia" or the "Republic of Macedonia," Greece would have "no choice but to leave the meeting." Agathocles said MFA lawyers advised that to do otherwise could establish a precedent for claims that Greece's position on the name issue had changed and that this could be misused by Skopje. ¶4. (C) DCM pushed back making the following points: -- The U.S. understands the sensitivity of the name issue and also highly values Greece's role within PSI. Greece has been a major contributor to PSI and to the OEG. -- No one in the world - including in Skopje Q could mistake the Greek position. Nobody would take the fact of Greek attendance at the PSI meeting as a sign that Greece's position on the name issue had changed. -- Greece could protect its position, however, by stating on the record at the meeting that its position on the name issue is "known" and that its presence at the meeting should in no way be construed as a change in the Greek position. -- Should Greece leave the meeting, it runs the risk of ATHENS 00000736 002 OF 002 leaving the false impression that PSI is not important to Greece. The people at the PSI meeting are experts on proliferation, not on the Balkans. Neither they - nor the U.S. officials who actually follow the name issue - would easily understand a Greek decision to withdraw entirely from an important event rather than to make its legal point in an unambiguous but less dramatic manner. -- Regardless of how this comes out, we also advise that Greece not make "too much" of the situation. This meeting is not intended to send signals either to Greece or Macedonia on the name issue - it is a meeting about PSI matters. The DCM said he hoped that the MFA had given Amb. Mallias explicit instructions not to take the issue to the press, regardless of whether it was solved to Greece's satisfaction or not. ¶5. (C) Agathocles said that Greece had considered carefully its various options, and that he had discussed them with FM Bakoyannis. However, Greece would have no choice but to leave the meeting if Macedonia is not seated as "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or if that is not the name used in any documents/statements coming out of the meeting. He said that the GOG will seek to keep the issue low-key, and he affirmed that he had already instructed Amb. Mallias to this effect, but added that the story will likely "get out" in public somehow. SPECKHARD