GREEK MFA ON JUNE GAERC ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000845

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV IR IZ IS SY CU GR
SUBJECT: GREEK MFA ON JUNE GAERC ISSUES

REF: A. SECSTATE 62450

B. 07 BEIRUT 933

Classified By: A/POLCOUNS JEFFREY HOVENIER.
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) On June 11, DepPolCouns discussed issues likely to be
taken up at the June 16-17 EU Foreign Ministers' meeting
(GAERC) with Greek MFA European Correspondent Antonia
Katzourou (ref A). Her responses below are keyed to likely
agenda items:

-- IRAN: Katzourou noted that EU foreign policy chief Solana
was scheduled to travel to Iran June 14 to present the GOI
with a re-packaged set of incentives and that Solana would
inform the GAERC of the outcome of his visit. Greece would
reserve comment on Iran until it heard Solana's report.

-- IRAQ: Katzourou said Iraq so far was not on the GAERC
agenda and that she did not expect to have it added given
that the ministers had discussed the EUJUST LEX mission at
the last GAERC.

-- ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE: This hardy perennial would be
on the June GAERC agenda and discussion was expected to focus
on latest developments. FM Bakoyannis would attend the
Berlin conference on supporting the Palestinians, and Greece
strongly supported the Annapolis peace process. Katzourou
said Greece agreed with the U.S. position that Israeli
settlement construction needed to stop and that the Israelis
could not be allowed to create a new reality on the ground
through settlements. Israeli statements about military
operations in Gaza were also worrisome.

-- LEBANON: Greece found the breakthrough on the new
president encouraging. Greece regards itself as a strong
supporter of the Lebanese government (NOTE: Greece stepped
forward last summer when the U.S. was urgently looking for
donors of howitzer ammunition for Lebanese forces fighting
Hizballah militias. See ref B. END NOTE.) Katzourou was
unaware of any new developments in terms of EU designation of
Hizballah as a terrorist organization and believed that that
step would now be difficult in the wake of the Doha agreement.

-- SUDAN, CHAD, SOMALIA, ZIMBABWE: Katzourou expected GAERC
discussion on all these topics but had little in terms of
specifics. On Somalia, she noted that Greece had
co-sponsored the UN resolution on piracy introduced by Spain.
She expected the GAERC to discuss ways in which the EU could
help with that problem.

-- CUBA: Katzourou said EU discussions continued on Cuba and
that Greece was seeking consensus. Greece deeply respected
human rights and wished to see the release of political
prisoners and other positive steps by the Castro regime. At
the same time, Greece in principle supported dialogue as the
most potentially constructive approach. Greece would thus
seek to find a common denominator at the EU. (NOTE: It
appeared Katzourou may not have been fully up to speed on
latest developments on the Cuba issue in her government.
Following on the June 5 statement by MFA spokesman
Koumoutsakos, which expressed GOG "dismay" at the human
rights situation in Cuba, the GOG has defended itself in
Parliament against attacks on its policy by the Greek
Communist Party (KKE),in part, utilizing materials Embassy
provided on the convictions of the so-called "Cuban Five."
END NOTE.)

-- BALKANS: Katzourou focused on the EULEX mission and
Kosovo. She said discussions with the UN continued, though
it was now up to the UN SYG to make a decision. She believed
UNMIK was likely to re`e, regardless of
what fQ made. A possible formulQble to all was to have
tunder UN auspices, though with its own chain of command.
In any case, Greece wanted the EU mission to have a clear legal
basis. As for the elections and makeup of the new
government, Greece hoped it would not be hardline. Whatever
government emerged should not be judged on past words but on
future deeds.

-- CENTRAL ASIA: This was not on the agenda, but Katzourou
expected some discussion given the interest of the German
President.

-- OTHER ISSUES: Katzourou expected a Burma/Myanmar
discussion, particularly given the amount of attention
focused on the subject at the last GAERC. She thought the
situation in Kosovo, as well as the elections in "FYROM"
(Republic of Macedonia),would take center stage.
SPECKHARD