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