GREECE: GOLDSTONE REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS ATHENS 001595 SENSITIVE SIPDIS IO/HR FOR PAUL KRUCHOWSKI, IO/UNP FOR ANDREW MORRISON, NEA/IPA FOR JEFFREY GIAUQUE, USUN NEW YORK FOR ELLEN GERMAIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA IS KPAL GR SUBJECT: GREECE: GOLDSTONE REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: STATE 112828 ¶1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel points on the Goldstone Report and debate at the UN General Assembly to Loukas Tsokos of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs D1 Directorate for International Organizations and Stelios Gavriil of the A6 Directorate for Middle East Affairs. Counselor Gavriil thanked PolOff for sharing the USG position on this matter and expressed concurrence with many of the points raised. In particular he concurred with USG concerns that the Middle East Peace Process not be derailed. Gavriil promised to communicate our position to the Greek PermRep to the United Nations in New York and noted that EU Member States would be meeting the morning (EST) of November 4th to discuss a common position. Gavriil said that Greece would follow EU consensus on this matter, which he anticipated would be a "quite neutral" position in regard to the Goldstone report, UN General Assembly debate and proposed resolution. ¶2. (SBU) Gavriil also raised concern that Secretary Clinton's recent statements on Israeli settlements were "back-tracking" from what had previously been said and were "unfair" to the Palestinian side. PolOff referred Gavriil to Secretary Clinton's November 2 remarks on the issue (in Marrakesh),which reiterated the USG position on settlements and explained her rationale in light of recent developments. Speckhard