Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USNATO80
2008-02-27 18:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USNATO
Cable title:  

GREECE: SLOWROLLING NATO ENLARGEMENT?

Tags:  NATO PREL MARR GR MK 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000080 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2118
TAGS: NATO PREL MARR GR MK
SUBJECT: GREECE: SLOWROLLING NATO ENLARGEMENT?

REF: A. SG(2008)0116

B. AC/119-WP(2008)0004

C. SRB-N(2008)0001-REV2

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b/d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000080

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2118
TAGS: NATO PREL MARR GR MK
SUBJECT: GREECE: SLOWROLLING NATO ENLARGEMENT?

REF: A. SG(2008)0116

B. AC/119-WP(2008)0004

C. SRB-N(2008)0001-REV2

Classified By: Ambassador Victoria Nuland for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In what may represent an effort by Athens to
change or slowroll Alliance accession procedures, Greece has
delayed three key NATO documents for the Comprehensive Report
on Enlargement which is due to NATO Foreign Ministers on
March 6. While some of this may represent bureaucratic
sludginess in Athens, we are watching closly for signs of a
campaign to complicate A-3 invitations at Bucharest. END
SUMMARY

Including NATO Invitees in Defense Planning
--------------

2. (C) Greece broke silence on a routine but important
document seeking Allied approval for involving NATO invitees
in Defense Planning (REF A) after the Summit. The practice
of including invitees in Defense Planning consultations is
well-established. The February 26 break-of-silence letter
from Greek Ambassador Stamatopoulos addresses none of the
Defense Planning issues that the Defense Review Committee
raised and upon which the DRC submitted recommendations. The
SecGen responded on February 27 that Greece's concerns were
adequately addressed by existing policy and practice, and
circulated an explanatory document under a new silence
procedure to expire the same day. We think the Greek paper
is a marker for further discussion rather than an attempt to
derail present work.

Accession Process Revisions
--------------

3. (C) In a February 26 discussion in the Senior Political
Committee, Greece's representative sought changes to an
Accession Procedures paper that seem designed to add new
conditions that an invitee nation might have to meet during
accession talks. The document (REF B) updates the accession
process agreed at the Prague Summit, and most delegations
argued against any further changes. France, however,
supported Greece and requested further unhelpful and
unnecessary revisions. The result is a bracketed text that
will be discussed again on February 29.

Enlargement and NATO Common-Funded Programs
--------------

4. (C) On February 20, Greece requested a six-day extension
of silence on a Senior Resource Board (SRB) paper on the
Implications of Enlargement for Military Common-Funded
Programs (REF C). While the SRB International Staff found
"nothing at all unusual about this," as Athens frequently
requests additional time for internal staffing on resource
issues, it does seem to fit a pattern of obstruction of
enlargement business. The IS expects silence to expire on
February 27 without further discussion.
NULAND