CYPRUS: RATIFICATION URGED FOR GPS-GALILEO COOPERATION

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000369 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR OES/SAT (RCLORE) AND EUR/SE USEU BRUSSELS FOR ROB DILLINGER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL TSPA TSPL ECPS CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS: RATIFICATION URGED FOR GPS-GALILEO COOPERATION AGREEMENT REF: STATE 59242 (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Per reftel request, Post contacted Mr. Vasilis Demetriades, Officer at the Ministry of Communications and Works for an update on the status of Cyprus' ratification of the GPS Galileo Cooperation agreement. Demetriades informed us that his Ministry had already prepared the ratifying legislation and completed all necessary preparatory work, including the time-consuming impact assessment study, which had caused the delay. The draft legislation will be submitted to the House of Representatives in early September and is expected to pass in early October 2009. Demetriades assured us that the GOC was fully cognizant of the urgency of this matter and assured us that there was no reason for concern, as he did not anticipate any obstacles or further delays. The GOC, along with the governments of all other EU member states, has already consented to treating this agreement as provisionally in force, until its final ratification by all member states. URBANCIC