CYPRUS WELCOMES CONCLUSIONS OF U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000226 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR, SCA, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2019 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS AF CY USAID SUBJECT: CYPRUS WELCOMES CONCLUSIONS OF U.S. AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN STRATEGIC REVIEW REF: A. SECSTATE 29482 ¶B. EMBASSY-EUR/SE EMAIL OF 3/30/09 ¶C. NICOSIA 221 ¶D. SECSTATE 28929 Classified By: DCM Jonathan Cohen, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) In response to Ref A, DCM on March 30 delivered U.S. Afghanistan-Pakistan white paper to Cypriot MFA Political Director Rhea Yiordamlis. Cyprus was concerned by the security situation in the region, Yiordamlis responded (Ref B). As such, the government had sent a high-level envoy to the March 31 conference in The Hague, Deputy FM Nicholas Emiliou (FM Markos Kyprianou had wanted to attend, but other business prevented him.) The Foreign Ministry was considering some type of &joint assistance package8 for Afghanistan and Pakistan, she continued. It likely would not be finalized until after the upcoming Pakistan pledging conference in Tokyo, however, and MFA leaders still had to convince the Finance Ministry to release funds. ¶2. (C) Cyprus years earlier had attempted to finance in part the Spanish-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Qala-e-Naw, Yiordamlis explained, and had obtained Madrid's buy-in. Turkey had protested and managed to scuttle the arrangement, however. The government might be interested in trying to financially support another PRT, she ventured, without providing further details. Urbancic