GREECE URGES EARLY RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL RULE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000689 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 AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/04/29 TAGS: AORC EAID PGOV GR MA SUBJECT: GREECE URGES EARLY RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL RULE IN MADAGASCAR REF: SECSTATE 35809 CLASSIFIED BY: Paul Carter, Deputy Political Counselor, U.S. Department of State, Athens; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) On April 27 poloff delivered reftel points urging a return to constitutional rule in Madagascar to Stefanos Ioannides, Counselor for Sub-Saharan Africa in the A9 Division of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). While Greece believed a return to constitutional order in Madagascar was important, Ioannides said that the most important point was to continue providing humanitarian aid to the island, as France and other EU nations were doing. ¶2. (C) Ioannides returned from Brussels on April 26 where he attended various meetings centered on Africa, specifically Somalia. The situation in Madagascar was brought up only once to his knowledge, when France expressed the importance of continuing humanitarian aid to the island. Ioannides looked forward to free and democratic elections in Madagascar, ideally without the participation of either Ravalomanana or Rajoelina. Greece did not play a major role in this issue and generally sided with other EU nations on this matter. Furthermore, Ioannides hoped that Madagascar would invite the EU to act as an observer once the election time was set. SPECKHARD