CYPRUS: EU UNLIKELY TO LIFT ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000106 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/SE, EAP/CM, PM/RSAT, AND ISN/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2020 TAGS: PREL PARM EUN CH CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS: EU UNLIKELY TO LIFT ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA REF: SECSTATE 13969 Classified By: CDA Jonathan R. Cohen for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On February 22, 2010, Poloff delivered ref points to Alexis Phedonos-Vadet, Second Secretary in the MFA's Department of Asia and Oceania, Political Affairs Division. Despite Cyprus' support for lifting the EU's arms embargo on China in 2004, Phedonos-Vadet stated that "he doesn't see it happening" anytime soon because EU member states are very divided on the issue, with the United Kingdom strongly in favor of continuing the embargo, and Spain and France seeking to review it. Phedonos-Vadet acknowledged the USG's firm opposition to lifting the embargo but explained that Cyprus has not yet formulated any new national policy on the issue; so far, he noted, there has been no decision in Brussels to lift the embargo, or even put the issue up for discussion. COHEN