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