GREEKS BEARING GIFTS: FM BAKOYANNIS TO ATTEND

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000832 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2018 TAGS: PREL PBTS PHUM KWBG IS GR SUBJECT: GREEKS BEARING GIFTS: FM BAKOYANNIS TO ATTEND BERLIN CONFERENCE REF: A. SECSTATE 62133 ¶B. ATHENS 784 Classified By: A/POLCOUNS JEFFREY HOVENIER. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) DepPolCouns reconfirmed that Greek FM Dora Bakoyannis would attend the Berlin conference on supporting the Palestinians with MFA A6 Directorate for Middle East Affairs deputy head Giorgos Ayfantis (refs A and B). Ayfantis said Bakoyannis did not want to show up at the conference "empty handed" and had ordered the MFA to come up with options for Greek donations. Ayfantis said they had created a list of six projects, of which she was to choose one or two. The value was expected to be approximately 500K euro. Bakoyannis intended to announce the Greek contribution at the Berlin conference. The German Embassy ha also inquired with Ayfantis' office about Grek intentions. ¶2. (C) Haris Lalacos of the FM's Cabinet told A/Polcouns that Bakoyannis regretted that she was unable to attend the Paris Afghanistan conference and thus was unable to meet the Secretary there. Lalacos reiterated Bakoyannis' strong interest in a bilat with the Secretary on the margins of the Berlin conference. SPECKHARD