VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #0651/01 0881704
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291704Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8592
INFO RUCNCFE/CONVENTIONAL ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS ATHENS 000651 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL NATO KCFE GR
SUBJECT: CFE GREECE: IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUEST 
 
¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST.  DEPARTMENT SEE PARA 2. 
 
¶2. (SBU) U.S. delegation led by DAS Karin L. Look concluded 
with Greek counterparts the text of the political commitment 
(NOTE: referred to as an "arrangement" in the final text. 
END NOTE) that will govern the exchange of CFE Treaty 
entitlements that will allow the United States to deploy 
Treaty-limited equipment in Romania and Bulgaria for 
exercises and training beginning in July 2007.  Request 
Washington review and approve text (see para 3 below) no 
later than close of business Washington time today, Thursday, 
March 29.  Washington reply should instruct Embassy Athens to 
provide diplomatic note to the Greek government indicating 
acceptance. 
 
¶3. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF ARRANGEMENT: 
 
VERBAL NOTE 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic 
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States 
of America and with reference to the Treaty on Conventional 
Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990, as amended by 
the Document of May 31, 1996, agreed among the States Parties 
to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of 
November 19, 1990 (hereinafter referred to as the "CFE 
Treaty") and the request of the United States of America for 
the temporary transfer of a number of CFE entitlements to 
hold armaments and equipment limited by the CFE Treaty, has 
the honour to propose the following, which reflects 
consultations held between the Greek and American delegations 
during the course of 2006 and 2007: 
 
The Hellenic Republic, having considered in a positive spirit 
the request of the United States of America for the transfer 
of CFE Treaty flank zone entitlements in order to accommodate 
rotational activities of the armed forces of the United 
States of America at facilities in Romania and Bulgaria, is 
prepared to assist and to transfer the following number of 
CFE ground entitlements: 
 
10 battle tanks, 
91 armoured combat vehicles, and 
10 pieces of artillery 
 
The aforementioned entitlements are to be transferred under 
the following terms: 
 
¶1. The Hellenic Republic issues notifications under the CFE 
Treaty, thereby permitting the United States of America to 
hold the number of ground entitlements listed above in that 
portion of the area of application covered by Article V of 
the Treaty. 
 
¶2. The United States of America issues notifications under 
the CFE Treaty, thereby permitting the Hellenic Republic to 
hold for each category  an equal number of ground 
entitlements as listed above in that portion of the area of 
application covered by Article IV paragraph 2 of the Treaty. 
 
¶3. The appropriate notifications are to be issued in a way 
that does not change the national maximum level of holdings, 
referred to in CFE Treaty Article VII, for either the 
Hellenic Republic or the United States of America.  The 
notifications are to be issued not later than ten days after 
completion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization approval 
process. 
 
¶4. These entitlements are exchanged on a temporary basis. The 
United States of America declares its willingness to return 
the entitlements when it has determined that it has no 
further need for them. 
 
¶5. The entitlements received by the United States of America 
may be transferred only on a temporary basis for training and 
exercises to other members of the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization that are also members of the second or "western" 
group of States Parties as defined in Article II, paragraph 
1(A) of the CFE Treaty and are not situated in the flank zone 
of Article V of the CFE Treaty, in which case the original 
donor state is to be notified in advance. 
 
The entitlements received by the Hellenic Republic may be 
transferred only on a temporary basis for training and 
exercises to other members of the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization that are also members of the second or "western" 
group of States Parties as defined in Article II, paragraph 
1(A) of the CFE Treaty, in which case the original donor 
state is to be notified in advance. 
¶6. The Hellenic Republic and the United States of America 
commit to hold consultations in order to review the operation 
and the necessity of keeping in force this agreement within 
twenty-four (24) months from the date it becomes effective 
and thereafter once every year.  Consultations are also to 
take place upon the request of either government.  The 
request may be based upon any change in circumstances or 
events that causes the requesting government to conclude that 
consultations are necessary, including any desire to modify 
by mutual consent   this agreement. 
 
¶7.  The retransfer of the entitlements specified above is to 
take place before the entry into force of the Agreement on 
Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, 
signed on November 19, 1999, in Istanbul. Once that Agreement 
adapts the CFE Treaty, the United States of America does not 
require further use of the transferred entitlements.  The 
entitlements are to be returned during the ten-day period 
specified in paragraph 3 of Article 31 of the Agreement on 
Adaptation that is initiated through the acceptance by the 
Depositary of the last instrument of ratification necessary 
to bring the Agreement on Adaptation into force. In such a 
case, both the Hellenic Republic and the United States of 
America are to issue appropriate notifications under the CFE 
Treaty so that the entitlements are returned within that same 
ten-day period. 
 
¶8. Either State may at any time temporarily suspend or 
terminate the application of this agreement in accordance 
with the following procedure: 
 
(A) The suspending or terminating State is to provide notice 
of suspension or termination to the other State, whenever it 
considers that extraordinary circumstances so require. The 
suspending or terminating State is to specify the number and 
the type of entitlements subject to the suspension or 
termination. 
 
(B) Both States are to take all steps necessary for the 
expeditious return of the CFE Treaty entitlements exchanged 
pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 no later than ten days after 
receipt of the notice of suspension or termination. 
 
The same procedure is to be followed in the case of the 
withdrawal of a suspension. 
 
All notices are to be provided in writing through diplomatic 
channels. 
 
If the above is acceptable, then the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs of the Hellenic Republic proposes that this note 
together with the affirmative note in reply of the Embassy of 
the United States of America constitute an arrangement 
between the two States that becomes effective on the date of 
the reply note. 
 
END TEXT OF ARRANGEMENT 
 
¶4. (SBU) This message was cleared by the CFE delegation 
headed by DAS Karin L. Look. 
RIES