CYPRUS: M/V MONCHEGORSK ANCHORED OFF LIMASSOL

S E C R E T NICOSIA 000075 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR, NEA, ISN, P E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2019 TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC SY IR CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS: M/V MONCHEGORSK ANCHORED OFF LIMASSOL REF: A. NICOSIA 73 ¶B. NICOSIA 58 Classified By: Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (S) Ship's Location and Status: USS Barry reported that the M/V Monchegorsk entered Cypriot territorial waters at 0315 Zulu on January 29. Roughly four hours later, it arrived at the port of Limassol, where it remains at anchorage. ¶2. (C) Diplomatic Activity: The evening of January 28, Israeli DCM informed Embassy Econoff that GoI Ambassador Avrahaam Haddad had been in close contact with RoC Diplomatic Coordinator Leonidas Pantelides regarding the Monchegorsk. Haddad telephoned the Ambassador on January 29 to brief on his activities and request a recap of USG actions. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador at 1030 hrs local (0330 DC) telephoned Pantelides to commend Cyprus's decision to bring the Monchegorsk to Limassol. Ambassador reminded Pantelides that the Cypriots' letter of recall which he (Pantelides) had shared with us specifically informed the Monchegorsk "that any cargo not in conformity with UN Security Resolutions 1747 and 1803 must be unloaded in Limassol to avoid infringement of the UNSCRs and violation of RoC shipping rules and regulations." Ambassador again offered U.S. technical assistance in the matter. He also solicited the RoC's envisioned way-forward, and consulted on a strategy for handling media inquiries -- Ambassador told Pantelides that the Embassy would refrain from making any comments beyond what was already in the press and would refer questions to the Foreign Ministry. (Note: Leading daily "Phileleftheros" on January 29 ran an article on the Monchegorsk, essentially a translation of a days-earlier AP story in which CJCS ADM Mullen allegedly voiced U.S. disappointment over its inability to detain the Monchegorsk in the Red Sea.) ¶4. (C) Pantelides confirmed that the Monchegorsk was at anchor in Limassol, but would provide little specific on Cyprus's planned course of action. Early reports from RoC maritime officials had corroborated the existence of large quantities of high explosives on board, a fact, Pantelides noted, that troubled the Cypriots on safety grounds. He confirmed his government would undertake a more thorough inspection, but deflected the offer of U.S. assistance, claiming the RoC wanted to go "step by step" before committing to off-load any cargo. As to press, he concurred with the proposed strategy, requesting the Embassy limit its commentary to confirmation that U.S. forces had boarded the vessel a week earlier in the Red Sea. Urbancic