OSCE CIO/GREEK FM BAKOYANNIS ORGANIZING IRAQ VISIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000266 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON MOPS IZ GR SUBJECT: OSCE CIO/GREEK FM BAKOYANNIS ORGANIZING IRAQ VISIT FOR END OF MARCH REF: A. SECSTATE 18283 ¶B. 08 ATHENS 1572 Classified By: POLCOUNS ROBIN QUINVILLE. REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D ¶1. (C) During a discussion of ref A points on the review of U.S. policy in Iraq, MFA A6 Directorate for Middle East Affairs Counsellor Gregory Karahalios, who has responsibility for Iraq, told DepPolCouns that FM Dora Bakoyannis, who is also currently OSCE CiO, is trying to organize a visit to Iraq for the end of the month, possibly March 26-27. She would like to visit Baghdad and Irbil, where Greece is opening a new commercial office. The visit had not yet been announced publicly and was not yet "100 percent official" because it was still in the works, but Karahalios believed it would take place. ¶2. (C) The Greek ambassador to Iraq was returning to Athens shortly to organize the visit. Karahalios said he had no word yet on potential deliverables for the visit, which he said would be mostly a get-acquainted trip. He did expect that questions of bilateral economic/commercial relations would predominate. DepPolCouns offered Embassy Athens assistance in passing messages to Baghdad, if that would be useful. ¶3. (C) On ref A points regarding U.S. Iraq policy, Karahalios said he had received a cable from the Greek Embassy in Washington informing him of the same information. Karahalios said Greece understood the U.S. need to shift focus to Afghanistan and other problem areas. At the same time, the situation in Iraq did not yet appear calm and other countries in the region, such as Kuwait, had concerns about the U.S. withdrawal. Many critical issues also remained unresolved, such as the relationship of the Kurds to the rest of the country, the organization of the Iraqi government administrative structure, and the division of oil revenues. Karahalios said that in the interests of stability and peace, these issues should be resolved before the U.S. departed. "It would be better to stay longer to resolve them than to leave and have to come back later." ¶4. (C) COMMENT: An Iraqi invitation to Bakoyannis has been on the table for some time. We suspect she is now taking up the offer because of her current role as OSCE CiO, as well as the change of administration in Washington. Greece accepted ten young Iraqi diplomats for a two-week A-100-style training program last November and has also contributed large numbers of armored personnel carriers (BMPs) and tons of ammunition to the Iraqi Army, as well as modest levels of training to Iraqi military personnel (ref B). The Greeks have also contributed significant humanitarian aid and forgiven Iraqi debt. We will liaise closely with the MFA as the Bakoyannis visit moves forward. SPECKHARD