CYPRUS VOWS FULL COOPERATION ON UN'S LATEST IRAN

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000173 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR RICHARD NEPHEW (ISN/RA),HEATHER VON BEHREN (IO/T),EUR/SE, EUR/ERA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS VOWS FULL COOPERATION ON UN'S LATEST IRAN SANCTIONS REF: A. SECSTATE 21770 ¶B. EUR/SE-EMBASSY NICOSIA EMAILS OF 2/13/08 ¶1. (SBU) Polchief on March 5 delivered Ref A non-paper and P5 1 statement to MFA Multilateral Affairs chief George Kasoulides, emphasizing that the latest UN Security Council resolution condemning Iran's nuclear program merited a robust and immediate Cypriot implementation. Kasoulides welcomed the document and agreed that UNSCR 1803 sent a strong message to Tehran. Iran must fulfill its obligations pursuant to this and earlier Security Council decisions, he continued, or face potentially tougher sanctions down the road. Cyprus's Council of Ministers already had endorsed UNSCR 1803, he claimed, meaning the RoC would implement its provisions ASAP. ¶2. (SBU) Polchief next raised EU sanctions against Iran. Two weeks earlier, the Ambassador had lobbied the MFA to drop its objections to technical, Iran-sanctions-related work proceeding in Brussels (Ref B),only to hear that "Cyprus prefers to wait until after the Security Council has considered a third resolution, before considering further EU moves." Kasoulides restated that position. With the UNSCR in place, however, deliberations on additional designations could re-commence in EU fora. He alluded to the implementation of more-stringent procedures before suspect individuals and/or entities could be listed, but did not elaborate (Post will seek clarification and report results separately). Kasoulides added that EU foreign ministers would not be able to approve additional designations at the March 10-11 GAERC. Rather, working groups in Brussels would re-examine the cases and refer them to COREPER; the permanent representatives later would submit them for GAERC consideration. SCHLICHER