GREECE SUPPORTS U.S. IMO CANDIDACY, EXPECTS SAME

UNCLAS ATHENS 001555 SENSITIVE SIPDIS LONDON FOR EST ??? J.WHITTLESEY USCG FOR CG-52 AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IO/T FOR THOMAS JOHNSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC IMO EWWT PHSA GR SUBJECT: GREECE SUPPORTS U.S. IMO CANDIDACY, EXPECTS SAME REF: STATE 96526 ¶1. (SBU) On October 2, we delivered reftel demarche and diplomatic note to the MFA's D1 Office, responsible for the UN and other international organizations and conferences. On October 16, we followed up with Director Emannouil Papadorgiorgakis, who assured us of Greek support for the United States' Category A membership candidacy, and sent a copy of a note verbale his office had sent to the Embassy via formal channels earlier that day (although dated October 9, the note was note was not sent from the Ministry until October 16). ¶2. (SBU) Text of note verbale follows: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and with reference to its verbal note No. # 418/POL/09 dated October 2, 2009 would like to thank the Government of the United States for its decision to support the candidature of the Hellenic Republic for re-election to the Council (Category A) of the International Maritime Organization for the period 2010-2011, at the elections to be held during the 26th Session of the Assembly of the IMO in London from 23 November to 4 December 2009. Furthermore, the Government of the Hellenic Republic would like to inform the latter that it will lend its support to the candidature of the United States of America as a member of the same Council (Category "A") of IMO. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of its highest consideration." END TEXT ¶3. (SBU) Following receipt of the note, we pointed our interlocutors back to the text of the diplomatic note transmitted to Post via reftel, and reiterated that U.S. policy for secret ballot elections in multilateral organizations is not to reveal our support for particular candidates or to enter into agreements for reciprocal support, or to disclose any U.S. votes before or after an election. Speckhard