Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LONDON954
2008-04-02 15:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy London
Cable title:  

NATO MACEDONIA INVITATION: UK EFFORTS FAIL TO MOVE

Tags:  PREL NATO MK GR UK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #0954 0931529
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021529Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8118
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHSQ/AMEMBASSY SKOPJE PRIORITY 0139
C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000954 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/SCE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018
TAGS: PREL NATO MK GR UK
SUBJECT: NATO MACEDONIA INVITATION: UK EFFORTS FAIL TO MOVE
ATHENS

REF: STATE 32646

Classified By: DCM Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000954

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE, EUR/SCE AND EUR/RPM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018
TAGS: PREL NATO MK GR UK
SUBJECT: NATO MACEDONIA INVITATION: UK EFFORTS FAIL TO MOVE
ATHENS

REF: STATE 32646

Classified By: DCM Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) FCO Political Director Mark Lyall Grant told DCM
that high-level UK intervention with Greece, including an
appeal from FM Miliband to Greek FM Bakoyannis at the March
29 EU Gymnich, had failed to shift Athens off its hard-line
position. Lyall Grant has been in close contact with Acting
U/S Fried on this issue. The UK's view is that now that
Macedonia has accepted a compromise name proposed by UN Envoy
Nimetz, maximum pressure must be brought to bear on the
Greeks.


2. (C/NF) Lyall Grant said that it was unclear whether
Greece is using the name issue to block any Macedonian
accession to either EU or NATO, or whether a modifier
currently unacceptable to Skopje, such as "upper-Macedonia"
or northern-Macedonia" would mollify the hard-liners in
Athens. Either way, according to Lyall Grant, it will likely
require head of government level intervention at Bucharest to
move the issue. Lyall Grant said that Paris could also be
problematic, given ongoing French-Greek military contract
negotiations. He promised continued UK effort and
coordination with the U.S. and other like-minded Allies.

Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm
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