Cablegate: Cluster Munitions: Greece Shares U.S. Concerns

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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #2347 3461542
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O 121542Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0895
INFO RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0255
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0958
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 002347

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR PM/WRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017
TAGS: PARM PREL NATO GR
SUBJECT: CLUSTER MUNITIONS: GREECE SHARES U.S. CONCERNS

REF: STATE 164503

Classified By: A/Political Counselor Jeff Hovenier for 1.4 (b) and (d)

1. (C) A/Pol Counselor met 12/12 with MFA Senior
Non-Proliferation Officer Dionyssios Kyvetos to deliver ref
papers on cluster munitions. Kyvetos, who attended the
December 5 - 7 meeting in Vienna of the Oslo Process, was
unequivocal in reply: Greece strongly supports U.S. concerns
about the Oslo Process. Greece participated in the Vienna
meeting, but at that meeting announced it would no longer
attend meetings of the Oslo Process. Greece is fully
committed to negotiations on cluster munitions within the
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) framework,
and will be chairing some of these negotiations. Greece
further shares USG concerns that there are provisions being
considered within the Oslo Process that could have a
significant impact on military cooperation between countries
that adopt such requirements related to cluster munitions and
those that do not. He said "we are with you," and he asked
that U.S. officials keep Greek officials -- and in particular
the Greek Ambassador in Geneva -- informed of U.S. concerns
and activities in this area.

2. (C) Kyvetos also noted that the EU is facing "significant
coordination problems" on cluster munitions issues. EU
states have agreed to work on this issue within the CCW
framework. Therefore, Greece was surprised and disappointed
by a draft statement by EU/Portugal for the Vienna Meeting of
the Oslo Process that made no reference to CCW. Greece
blocked this statement on this basis, and Greece will object
to any future EU signals of support for the Oslo Process.
Kyvetos singled out Ireland, Austria, and Sweden are among
the most enthusiastic about the Oslo Process.
SPECKHARD

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