(C) CYPRUS RECEPTIVE TO SANCTIONS ON IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000069 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, NEA/FO (E. CATALANO) AND ISN/RA (R. NEPHEW) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2020 TAGS: PARM PREL IR CY SUBJECT: (C) CYPRUS RECEPTIVE TO SANCTIONS ON IRAN REF: SECSTATE 09124 Classified By: Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador delivered reftel points February 4 to the Permanent Secretary of Cyprus' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Emiliou, who received the points favorably. Emiliou reported there was growing consensus among EU members that sanctions were necessary and that Cyprus would support such a consensus; the Ambassador said Cyprus should go even further, and play a role in shaping a positive EU position. Emiliou underscored that any new sanctions must be effective; in order to maintain credibility, the EU should not be put in a position of supporting sanctions that either China or Russia could get around. The Ambassador underlined that the purpose of new sanctions would be a change in Iran's behavior, not sanctions for sanctions' sake. (Comment: In contrast to the Government of Cyprus's prior responses to USG demarches on Iranian nuclear disarmament, Emiliou's statements were noticeably more active and forward-leaning. End comment.) URBANCIC