CYPRUS WILL SUPPORT USG, AU STANCE ON MAURITANIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000130 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL XA MR CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS WILL SUPPORT USG, AU STANCE ON MAURITANIA REF: SECSTATE 13962 Classified By: DCM Jonathan Cohen, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C). On February 18, Poloffs delivered reftel demarche concerning USG views on the military junta in Mauritania and the African Union's (AU) recent decision to impose targeted sanctions to Andreas Kouzoupis, in the Cypriot MFA's Department of Middle East and African Affairs. Kouzoupis said that Cyprus applauds the steps taken by the AU and is in full agreement with USG views. Kouzoupis stated that not only would reftel points be taken under consideration for the February 20 meeting in Paris to consider Mauritania's status under the Article 96 Cotonou Accords process, they would also be forwarded to Brussels in time for the February 19 meeting of the EU Political Directors, at which this issue is likely to come up. Urbancic