Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ATHENS1611
2009-11-09 13:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Athens
Cable title:
PIRACY: GREEK HEARTBURN WITH THE NEW YORK DECLARATION
how-toVZCZCXRO1043 OO RUEHAG RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHTH #1611/01 3131325 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 091325Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1013 INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0055 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001611
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: 2019/11/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHSA EWWT GR
SUBJECT: PIRACY: GREEK HEARTBURN WITH THE NEW YORK DECLARATION
REF: ATHENS 1599
ATHENS 00001611 001.3 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Deborah A. McCarthy, Deputy Chief of Mission; REASON:
1.4(B),(D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001611
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: 2019/11/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHSA EWWT GR
SUBJECT: PIRACY: GREEK HEARTBURN WITH THE NEW YORK DECLARATION
REF: ATHENS 1599
ATHENS 00001611 001.3 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Deborah A. McCarthy, Deputy Chief of Mission; REASON:
1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) SUMMARY. PolMil Chief met at MFA November 3 to establish
Greek views on signing the New York Declaration at the upcoming
Plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
(CGPCS) in January 2010. While the MFA values our overall
cooperation on counterpiracy, they have continuing reservations
about signing the Declaration as it currently stands. Further, MFA
experts remain irked that the Declaration was not a negotiated
text, but was presented to the CGPCS as a fait accompli to take or
leave; Greece would like to see the text reopened, negotiated, and
reissued. MFA continues to believe that while Greek shipowners
support the general goals of the Declaration, they do not like its
specific text. The November 12 meeting between the PM bureau and
the Union of Greek Shipowners should enable the USG to flesh this
assertion out. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Following up on A/S Shapiro's October meetings with Greek
officials in Athens (reftel),PolMil Chief met with MFA piracy
coordinator Dimitris Papandreou to elaborate on Greek views toward
the New York Declaration on best practices for merchant vessel
self-protection, with an eye to signing at the January 2010 meeting
of the CGPCS. Papandreou, while praising the work of the Contact
Group and reiterating his positive assessment of U.S.-Greek
cooperation against piracy, outlined the MFA's chief problems with
the Declaration:
-- Greece supports the vast majority of the text, but continues to
have difficulty understanding why the Declaration was not
negotiated on a consensual basis among all Contact Group
participants in Working Group 3.
-- Greece's primary objection is found in the final paragraph of
the Declaration which deals with the ISPS Code. The paragraph,
Papandreou asserted, creates an inappropriate linkage between
piracy and terrorism, and the use of the word "ensure" creates a
facade of legal obligation, despite U.S. assurances.
-- The use of the term "innocent passage" in the first paragraph of
the introduction is inappropriate, as the term has a specific legal
meaning according to the Law of the Sea treaty.
3. (C) When asked what it would take to have Greece sign on to the
Declaration as it stood today, Papandreou made it clear that Greece
wishes to have the Declaration reopened, negotiated, and issued as
a consensus document. He believed that the document would end up
the better for it, and as a political declaration, would have the
full force of all CGPCS participants behind it. In his eyes, the
UK caveat on the language referring to the ISPS Code validates the
Greek position. He was reluctant to consider Greece signing on
with a similar caveat, as in his view, caveats weaken the
Declaration, and give it a more legalistic appearance.
Nevertheless, he wished to continue a dialogue leading up to
January's Plenary.
4. (C) Comment: Continued, focused high-level engagement over the
course of November and into December will be important if this
reticence from the bureaucracy will have any chance of being
overcome with a policy decision from above. The November 12 visit
of the delegation from the Union of Greek Shipowners will be an
important opportunity to clarify their views toward the
Declaration, and to seek to get them on "our" side in urging the
Greek government to sign. As an important business lobby in
ATHENS 00001611 002.2 OF 002
Greece, a negative outlook by the shippers toward the Declaration
will make it doubly hard for the Government to agree. Post
recommends high-level follow-up in Washington, and will continue to
engage high-level interlocutors here. End comment.
Speckhard
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: 2019/11/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHSA EWWT GR
SUBJECT: PIRACY: GREEK HEARTBURN WITH THE NEW YORK DECLARATION
REF: ATHENS 1599
ATHENS 00001611 001.3 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Deborah A. McCarthy, Deputy Chief of Mission; REASON:
1.4(B),(D)
1. (C) SUMMARY. PolMil Chief met at MFA November 3 to establish
Greek views on signing the New York Declaration at the upcoming
Plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia
(CGPCS) in January 2010. While the MFA values our overall
cooperation on counterpiracy, they have continuing reservations
about signing the Declaration as it currently stands. Further, MFA
experts remain irked that the Declaration was not a negotiated
text, but was presented to the CGPCS as a fait accompli to take or
leave; Greece would like to see the text reopened, negotiated, and
reissued. MFA continues to believe that while Greek shipowners
support the general goals of the Declaration, they do not like its
specific text. The November 12 meeting between the PM bureau and
the Union of Greek Shipowners should enable the USG to flesh this
assertion out. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Following up on A/S Shapiro's October meetings with Greek
officials in Athens (reftel),PolMil Chief met with MFA piracy
coordinator Dimitris Papandreou to elaborate on Greek views toward
the New York Declaration on best practices for merchant vessel
self-protection, with an eye to signing at the January 2010 meeting
of the CGPCS. Papandreou, while praising the work of the Contact
Group and reiterating his positive assessment of U.S.-Greek
cooperation against piracy, outlined the MFA's chief problems with
the Declaration:
-- Greece supports the vast majority of the text, but continues to
have difficulty understanding why the Declaration was not
negotiated on a consensual basis among all Contact Group
participants in Working Group 3.
-- Greece's primary objection is found in the final paragraph of
the Declaration which deals with the ISPS Code. The paragraph,
Papandreou asserted, creates an inappropriate linkage between
piracy and terrorism, and the use of the word "ensure" creates a
facade of legal obligation, despite U.S. assurances.
-- The use of the term "innocent passage" in the first paragraph of
the introduction is inappropriate, as the term has a specific legal
meaning according to the Law of the Sea treaty.
3. (C) When asked what it would take to have Greece sign on to the
Declaration as it stood today, Papandreou made it clear that Greece
wishes to have the Declaration reopened, negotiated, and issued as
a consensus document. He believed that the document would end up
the better for it, and as a political declaration, would have the
full force of all CGPCS participants behind it. In his eyes, the
UK caveat on the language referring to the ISPS Code validates the
Greek position. He was reluctant to consider Greece signing on
with a similar caveat, as in his view, caveats weaken the
Declaration, and give it a more legalistic appearance.
Nevertheless, he wished to continue a dialogue leading up to
January's Plenary.
4. (C) Comment: Continued, focused high-level engagement over the
course of November and into December will be important if this
reticence from the bureaucracy will have any chance of being
overcome with a policy decision from above. The November 12 visit
of the delegation from the Union of Greek Shipowners will be an
important opportunity to clarify their views toward the
Declaration, and to seek to get them on "our" side in urging the
Greek government to sign. As an important business lobby in
ATHENS 00001611 002.2 OF 002
Greece, a negative outlook by the shippers toward the Declaration
will make it doubly hard for the Government to agree. Post
recommends high-level follow-up in Washington, and will continue to
engage high-level interlocutors here. End comment.
Speckhard