CYPRUS AGAIN SEEKS USG SUPPORT FOR WASSENAAR BID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000936 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR CY TU SUBJECT: CYPRUS AGAIN SEEKS USG SUPPORT FOR WASSENAAR BID REF: A. CLEGG-TRIP/SCHLICHER EMAIL OF 12/12/2007 ¶B. MITCHELL/CLEGG-TRIPP EMAIL OF 11/27/2007 ¶C. DECEMBER 2007 ROOD-MARCOULLIS LETTER Classified By: Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (U) This message contains an action request; please see Paragraph 5. ¶2. (SBU) The Cypriot Foreign Ministry on November 25 asked the Embassy to forward immediately correspondence from Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou to the Secretary. The letter, the text of which appears in Paragraph 6 (original to be pouched to the Department),concerns Cyprus's interest in joining the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies. The MFA reports that Cyprus's application will be considered at the next Wassenaar plenary, to be held in Vienna on December ¶2. ¶3. (C) Cyprus long has sought U.S. support for its Wassenaar Arrangement application, which Turkey annually blocks for Cyprus Problem-related reasons. Three years ago, the USG took a decision to back Cyprus's bid (Ref B),announcing publicly its support to participating governments (including Ankara) and expressing private regret to Nicosia that Turkey continued to deny it participation. In our policy determination, the USG did not commit to lobbying Ankara to drop its objections, however, and specifically left this responsibility to Cyprus's fellow European Union member states that participate in Wassenaar. ¶4. (C) At the December 2007 Plenary, Turkey voiced its customary objection to Cyprus's bid. This time it lodged a procedural complaint, claiming the application had expired and should be stricken from the agenda (Ref A). A dust-up ensued, pitting Ankara against participating EU governments, which were defending Cyprus's position. After an hour of bickering, the U.S. representative eventually chimed in on Turkey's side, claiming the EU states had incorrectly changed the debate from procedure to politics. Despite him also voicing U.S. support for Cyprus's application, the Cypriots reacted angrily to the U.S. "transgression." ¶5. (C) Action Request/Recommendation: We recommend continued USG support -- in a manner consistent with the 2005 policy review -- for Cyprus's bid to join Wassenaar, and suggest a response to Foreign Minister Kyprianou's letter similar in substance to the Assistant Secretary for International Security and Non-proliferation's December 2007 correspondence to Kyprianou's predecessor, Erato Marcoullis (Ref C). Suggested response text appears in Paragraph 7. ¶6. (SBU) Text of Kyprianou-Secretary letter: Complimentary Opening "I would like to inform you that during the upcoming Wassenaar Plenary Meeting, to be held in Vienna during 2-3 December 2008, the application of the Republic of Cyprus to join the Wassenaar Arrangement will be under consideration and it will be supported by our EU partners through the statement of the EU French Presidency. Despite the fact that Cyprus fulfills all the prerequisites, norms and criteria for admission to the Arrangement, it remains the only member-state of the European Union that is not part of the Arrangement. As a result, Cyprus is deprived of direct access to valuable and confidential information that is crucial in improving its export control policies and standards. As I am sure you are aware, Cyprus's efforts to join the Wassenaar Arrangement are continuously and unjustifiably prevented by Turkey's objections. The position of Turkey disregards the assessment of the objective criteria for accession and it is also in violation of its obligations emanating from the EU-Turkey Negotiation Framework. Unfortunately, during the last three years, Turkey prevented Cyprus's accession to the Arrangement in nine different instances, with the most recent one being during the General Working Groups in Vienna on 15-16 October 2008. With this letter, I wish to kindly request the active support of the United States of America to Cyprus's rightful claim to join the Wassenaar Arrangement. This can be expressed through your support of the statement of the EU Presidency or by actively advocating our cause in a different manner. I am sure that your contribution to our efforts could help us NICOSIA 00000936 002 OF 002 overcome the obstacles posed by Turkey, so that our application can be reviewed solely on objective criteria. I trust that we will have your country's support, since I am confident that you share my belief that the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the Wassenaar Arrangement will be beneficial to all of its member-states and will strengthen the export control regime for conventional weapons and dual-use goods in sensitive geographical region." Complimentary Closing. ¶7. (SBU) Suggested response text (taken from Ref C): Complimentary Opening. "As you know, the United States fully supports Cyprus' membership in the Wassenaar Arrangement, a fact we have made known to all Participating States. We regret that Turkey continues to block admission of Cyprus to Wassenaar. This unfortunate state of affairs demonstrates once again the need for a comprehensive and lasting Cyprus settlement. In the meantime, the United States encourages the European Union Participating States of the Wassenaar Arrangement and Turkey to work together to resolve this issue." Complimentary Closing. Urbancic