DEMARCHE ON GREEK FSC FFT ON SMALL ARMS

UNCLAS STATE 009509 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OSCE PARM PREL GR SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON GREEK FSC FFT ON SMALL ARMS REF: A. STATE 5040 ¶B. USOSCE 18 ¶1. (U) This is an action cable. See para 3. ¶2. (U) Summary. Greece, as current Chair of the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) at the Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe (OSCE),is promoting a food-for-thought paper (FSC.DEL/213/09) with suggested measures for an OSCE Plan of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SA/LW),which the FSC must draft by May 2010 (Ministerial Council Decision 15/09). While the United States lauds the Greek delegation for being proactive about implementing the Ministerial decision, many of the suggestions cross longstanding U.S. redlines and well-known U.S. policy on SA/LW. The United States supports the Greek FSC Chair's efforts to develop an OSCE Plan of Action on SA/LW but emphasizes the need to focus in that Plan on implementing the existing OSCE Document on SA/LW (FSC.DOC/1/00) in the field, rather than reopening that document or otherwise developing new norms. End Summary. ¶3. (SBU) OBJECTIVES: The Department requests that Post pursue the following objectives: -- Encourage the Greek government to focus on measures to support implementation of the existing OSCE Document on SA/LW (FSC.DOC/1/100),such as looking into how to improve project formulation, when drafting the OSCE Program of Action on SA/LW; -- Highlight U.S. concerns that some measures either conflict with efforts in other international and regional venues, such as the Wassenaar Arrangement, or prejudice the outcome of Arms Trade Treaty negotiations. -- Pass to the Greek government a non-paper delineating the U.S. position on each of the suggested measures in the Greek food-for-thought paper (see para 4 for background; non-paper to be transmitted separately); -- Note that the USG cautions against expanding the scope of the OSCE Document on SA/LW (see ref A paras 7-9). ¶4. (U) Background: OSCE Ministerial Council Decision 15/09 tasked the FSC to generate an OSCE Program of Action on SA/LW by May 2010. The OSCE Meeting to Review the Organization's Document on SA/LW and Its Supplementary Decisions, held September 22-23, saw participating States present a long list of suggested measures that could be included in the Program of Action (FSC.GAL/109/09). Upon taking the rotating FSC Chairmanship, the Greek Delegation to the OSCE delivered a statement (FSC.DEL/1/10) to the FSC on January 20, 2010, (per ref B) that highlighted, among other issues, its December 18, 2009, food-for-thought paper (FFT) paper (FSC/DEL/213/09) which includes suggested measures for the Plan of Action that cross longstanding U.S. policy on SA/LW (see reftel paras 7-9). While Washington opposes many of the proposals for new measures in the Greek FFT paper, there are some that the U.S. delegation to the OSCE in Vienna can engage on constructively with the Greek FSC Chair and other FSC delegations. These positions have been added to the table of recommendations appended to the FFT paper and should be delivered to Athens as a non-paper. (Note: The Department will e-mail the document to Post.) ¶5. (SBU) Background, continued: While aiming to support as many of the recommendations as possible, the USG believes that the Greek FFT paper is too focused on expanding the scope of the OSCE Document on SA/LW, an action that the United States opposes. The USG is particularly concerned by the FSC Chair's attempts to advance new SA/LW norms before the OSCE and its participating States have fulfilled existing commitments contained not only in the OSCE Document but also in other international agreements such as the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat, and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SA/LW in All Its Aspects, and the International Tracing Instrument. A more effective OSCE Plan of Action could highlight several commitments that have yet to be fully implemented by participating States and encourage a focused effort by the OSCE, participating States, and relevant regional and sub-regional organizations to achieve full implementation. ¶6. (U) The Department's Points of Contact on this matter are Natasha Adams, VCI/CCA, AdamsNT@state.gov, and Sho Morimoto, PM/WRA, MorimotoSJ@state.gov. CLINTON