CYPRIOT FM TO VISIT CARACAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000006

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, WHA/AND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV CY VE
SUBJECT: CYPRIOT FM TO VISIT CARACAS

REF: A. 3/XA/1275-08

B. 3/XA/1081-08

C. TD-314/046059-08

D. NICOSIA 2

Classified By: Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In his second official foray to Latin
America -- his first took him to Havana in September --
Cypriot Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou will visit Caracas
on January 10 for two days of meetings with BRV officials,
then fly to Panama, Brazil, and possibly Costa Rica. A
working-level Ministry official claims Kyprianou's travel
motivations include desires to raise Cyprus's profile south
of the border and expand its "global vision" in advance of
its 2012 EU presidency. Much more likely, at least for the
Venezuela leg, the FM is following far-left boss President
Demetris Christofias's orders to strengthen bilateral
relationships with nations having ideologically like-minded
leaders. He also may be visiting those countries where
Cyprus might open new embassies. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Since Christofias's election in February 2008,
relations have warmed between Cyprus and Venezuela, with the
latter nation establishing an embassy in Nicosia. In an
unrelated visit to the Foreign Ministry on January 5 (Ref D),
the DCM learned that FM Kyprianou would visit Venezuela in
January as part of a multi-nation tour of Latin America.
PolChief followed up with MFA Americas Desk Officer Nikos
Panayi on January 8 and obtained both trip logistical info
and a rather disingenuous explanation of Kyprianou's
motivations.


3. (C) Kyprianou, accompanied by two staff, would conduct a
multi-nation tour of Latin America beginning on January 10,
Panayi reported. Details were sketchy, but the Minister
would begin with a two-working-day stop in Caracas,
proceeding to Panama, Brazil, and possibly Costa Rica. Most
recent Cypriot diplomatic energy had been expended in Europe,
Panayi explained, both in securing EU membership for Cyprus
and in learning the Brussels ropes after becoming a member
state in 2004. Now, however, the government hoped to extend
its reach to the Americas. Cyprus already had announced its
intention to open an embassy in Havana, and at least two
other new missions would follow, Panayi continued. Gaining
greater exposure to Latin American issues would also improve
Cyprus's global vision in advance of Nicosia's assumption of
the EU presidency in 2012. While Kyprianou would promote
Greek Cypriot positions on the Cyprus Problem during every
stop on the upcoming tour, that was not his primary purpose.


4. (C) Panayi claimed his government understood USG
"sensitivities" concerning Caracas and Hugo Chavez. Three
times he assured PolChief that Kyprianou would respect said
sensitivities and stay true to EU common positions on
Venezuela. Strangely -- especially considering Panayi is
accompanying Kyprianou and preparing his briefing papers --
he could not offer details on the Minister's two-day Caracas
program, claiming it was still in flux. A visit to
counterpart BRV FM Nicolas Maduro looked certain, but Panayi
was unsure whether Kyprianou would see Chavez. The FM would
discuss "chapters of cooperation" with the Venezuelans,
Panayi declared, without further elaboration. Kyprianou had
no intention of calling on opposition or business leaders, or
on dissidents and anti-Chavez NGOs, however.


5. (SBU) Cypriot media and the Foreign Ministry itself have
devoted little coverage to Kyprianou's upcoming travels. A
brief note in leading daily "Phileleftheros" on January 8
mentioned the Minister soon would travel to Italy and later
Latin America, where he "hoped to improve bilateral relations
with a number of countries, including Brazil, Panama, and
Venezuela." The Ministry's website was updated to reflect
the upcoming travel only after the meeting with Panayi.
Curiously, it devoted nine lines to a detailed description of
Kyprianou's short (one-day) Rome stop, but only two lines to
the Latin American tour; the text exactly mirrored
Phileleftheros's brief mention.


6. (C) COMMENT: The normally candid Panayi's specious
explanation of the underpinnings of Kyprianou's Venezuela
visit and his inability to offer details of the program
lacked conviction and his countenance displayed a degree of

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discomfort we don't often see from our Foreign Ministry
interlocutors. Combined with the MFA's scant mention of the
Minister's Latin American travels, we suspect Kyprianou was
following orders in taking this trip, not issuing them. The
last six weeks have seen RoC President Demetris Christofias
shedding joyful tears in Moscow, gratuitously lampooning NATO
and vowing never to have links to the Alliance, and generally
celebrating his "courage" in sticking to his Communist roots.
In fact, the day that news of Kyprianou's Venezuela trip
broke, the President was issuing public congratulations to
Raul Castro on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.
Urbancic