HUNGARY URGED TO WEIGH IN WITH GREECE ON NATO

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000339 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018 TAGS: PREL NATO PGOV HU SUBJECT: HUNGARY URGED TO WEIGH IN WITH GREECE ON NATO INVITATION FOR MACEDONIA REF: SECSTATE 32646 Classified By: Pol/Econ Counselor Eric Gaudiosi, reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador Foley delivered reftel points in a three-pronged approach to senior Hungarian Government officials in the Prime Minister's Officer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense on March 31. The Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Advisor, Karoly Banai, advised that, due to the current coalition political turmoil in Hungary (septel),he doubted the Prime Minister could be engaged on the Macedonia name issue prior to the Bucharest Summit. Banai commented that the Prime Minister will come back early from the NATO Summit, missing both the partnership program and Russian engagement sessions. However, Banai stated he would raise the issue with the Greek Ambassador to Hungary as well as directing the Hungarian Ambassador in Athens to do the same with the Greek Government. Banai also stated he will ask the Foreign Minister and the Defense Minister to contact their Greek counterparts. When asked by the Ambassador as to Hungary's position on Albanian membership if Greek thwarts Macedonia's invitation, Banai stated Hungary will continue to support the offer of membership to Albania at the Bucharest Summit. ¶2. (C) MFA Policy State Secretary Szentivanyi told the Ambassador that Hungary has been engaged with Greece on the Macedonian name issue since January, noting Hungary's active support for the NATO "friends of enlargement non-paper." Although encouraging Greece to "be open to suggestions for a solution, efforts have been to no avail." He commented that they recently received a "missive" from the Greek Government stating that the Skopje Government has violated the 1995 interim agreement when they pledged only to use the FYROM name and the Nimetz plan is unacceptable. ¶3. (C) MOD Policy State Secretary Jozsef Bali received the Ambassador's call for MinDef Szekeres who is traveling in Germany. Bali stated he would pass the message on to the Minister, stressing that "the name issue must not be an obstacle to membership." FOLEY