VZCZCXRO0830
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHTH #1595 3081340
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041340Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0951
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0048
UNCLAS ATHENS 001595
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
IO/HR FOR PAUL KRUCHOWSKI, IO/UNP FOR ANDREW MORRISON, NEA/IPA FOR JEFFREY GIAUQUE, USUN NEW YORK FOR ELLEN GERMAIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNGA IS KPAL GR
SUBJECT: GREECE: GOLDSTONE REPORT DEMARCHE DELIVERED
REF: STATE 112828
1. (SBU) PolOff delivered reftel points on the Goldstone Report and
debate at the UN General Assembly to Loukas Tsokos of the Greek
Ministry of Foreign Affairs D1 Directorate for International
Organizations and Stelios Gavriil of the A6 Directorate for Middle
East Affairs. Counselor Gavriil thanked PolOff for sharing the USG
position on this matter and expressed concurrence with many of the
points raised. In particular he concurred with USG concerns that
the Middle East Peace Process not be derailed. Gavriil promised to
communicate our position to the Greek PermRep to the United Nations
in New York and noted that EU Member States would be meeting the
morning (EST) of November 4th to discuss a common position.
Gavriil said that Greece would follow EU consensus on this matter,
which he anticipated would be a "quite neutral" position in regard
to the Goldstone report, UN General Assembly debate and proposed
resolution.
2. (SBU) Gavriil also raised concern that Secretary Clinton's
recent statements on Israeli settlements were "back-tracking" from
what had previously been said and were "unfair" to the Palestinian
side. PolOff referred Gavriil to Secretary Clinton's November 2
remarks on the issue (in Marrakesh), which reiterated the USG
position on settlements and explained her rationale in light of
recent developments.
Speckhard