Greek Views on July 2009 GAERC (Follow-Up)

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001311 SIPDIS AMEMBASSY ANKARA PASS TO AMCONSUL ADANA AMEMBASSY ASTANA PASS TO USOFFICE ALMATY AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL DUSSELDORF AMEMBASSY BERLIN PASS TO AMCONSUL LEIPZIG AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PASS TO AMEMBASSY PODGORICA AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PASS TO AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG AMEMBASSY ATHENS PASS TO AMCONSUL THESSALONIKI AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PASS TO AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/07/24 TAGS: PREL PGOV EUN GR SUBJECT: Greek Views on July 2009 GAERC (Follow-Up) REF: A) JEFFREY GIAUQUE EMAIL 7/16/2009; B) ATHENS 1269 CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Purcell, Acting Political Counselor; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) On July 23, in a follow-up meeting, Poloff delivered ref A points on U.S. positions on the July 27-28 GAERC to Niki Kamba, MFA European Correspondent. (Post had reported on initial Greek reactions, from MFA ESDP Division Head Evgenios Kalpyris, in reftel B.) On Georgia, Kamba said that Greece had no strong objections to U.S. participation in the EUMM but noted that "some countries" would object to a U.S. presence. On Iran, Kamba repeated longstanding Greek views that increased economic sanctions would not help, and that increased dialogue was the right path. On Somalia, Kamba said that the EU strategy would be "ATALANTA plus a strategy for the mainland," focusing on improving security and stability for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Kamba said Greece would raise Turkish overflights of inhabited Aegean islands with the GAERC, and Greece and Cyprus would give briefings to rebut Turkish claims on the Aegean/Mediterranean continental shelf. ¶2. (C) The following comments from Kamba are grouped by agenda / issue item: GEORGIA/EUMM: Kamba said Greece had "no strong objections" to U.S. participation in the EUMM but said there were "other countries" that might see U.S. involvement as controversial. Kamba noted that from the perspective of these countries, the EUMM was a European operation and there was no need for the U.S. to fill in any gaps; additionally, mapping out U.S. involvement as a third party would require substantial technical negotiations. IRAN: Kamba, echoing her statements from previous meetings, said Greece believed open dialogue to be crucial with Iran and did not see additional economic sanctions as helpful, since Iran always found a way to get its goods elsewhere. She said any new sanctions should not be unilateral and should be approved by the UNSC (to get Russia and China on board),and a strict deadline for imposing sanctions would be "unhelpful." SOMALIA: Kamba said GAERC discussion would center around an EC / General Secretariat paper suggesting, among other things, increased training for TFG police and armed forces. She said that the EU comprehensive strategy for Somalia would be "ATALANTA plus a strategy for the mainland," centering around increasing stability and security for the TFG. ¶3. (C) Kamba informed Poloff that Greece would raise Turkish overflights of inhabited Aegean islands before the GAERC. Greece and Cyprus, Kamba said, would also provide briefings to rebut and criticize Turkish claims on the Aegean / Mediterranean continental shelf. Kamba noted that the Swedish chairs were originally reluctant to add this to the agenda, but ultimately agreed to the Greek and Cypriot requests. SPECKHARD