VZCZCXYZ0009
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #1059/01 1430550
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 230550Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9197
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 2851
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 001059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2017 
TAGS: CY GR MARR MAS PARM PGOV PREL TU NATO
SUBJECT: CYPRUS ARMS: LETTERS EXCHANGED 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 60882 
 
     ¶B. ATHENS 772 
     ¶C. SECSTATE 41819 
     ¶D. SECSTATE 35756 (OR 35757) 
     ¶E. ATHENS 00385 
     ¶F. ATHENS 00110 
     ¶G. 2006 ATHENS 02884 
     ¶H. 2006 SECSTATE 165770 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES RIES.  REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1. (U) This is action request for Department.  See paragraph 
¶4. 
 
¶2. (C) On May 21, Ambassador received from MFA Secretary 
General Ambassador Charalambos Rocanas a letter outlining the 
Greek plan to resolve the issue of the illegal transfer of 
U.S.-origin equipment to Cyprus in violation of Section 3 of 
the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, and sections 505 and 
620C of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (see 
paragraph 5 below for the text of the letter).  The letter, 
which had been the subject of negotiations between the U.S. 
and Greece since February, met all the conditions stipulated 
by the United States and the wording was precisely as 
stipulated in STATE 60882 (refs a-e).  On May 22, as per 
instructions (refs. a-e), Ambassador provided a response to 
Rocanas acknowledging receipt of the Greek letter and 
reiterating key U.S. concerns (see paragraph 6 below for text 
of Ambassador's response). 
 
¶3. (C) With the exchange of letters complete, the 
implementation of the Greek plan should now move into its 
main phase.  In accordance with the arrangement the 
Ambassador reached with Greek CHOD Admiral Chinofotis in 
January, 2007 (ref. f), Embassy will confirm with the Greeks 
a date for the initial implementation-verification visit to 
Cyprus by U.S. personnel.  Embassy believes this visit would 
be most appropriate in late June, once the Greeks have had an 
opportunity to implement some elements of their plan but 
before the implementation was so far advanced as to make any 
needed changes difficult.  The Greeks have asked that the 
number of Americans on the initial verification visit be kept 
to three or four to avoid unnecessary press attention to the 
visit.  We envision two personnel from Embassy Athens and two 
from Washington. 
 
¶4. (C) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy requests Department identify 
two U.S. officials to participate in the initial verification 
visit to Cyprus, notionally anticipated for late June.  It 
will be important that the Washington officials be both 
knowledgeable of U.S. legal requirements and prepared to make 
immediate recommendations to the Greeks about implementation 
measures. 
 
¶5. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF ROCANAS LETTER: 
 
Athens, May 18, 2007 
 
Dear Charlie: 
 
It is hereby confirmed that any defense articles provided by 
the United States to Greece pursuant to agreements entered 
into prior to December 22, 1987, shall be placed in 
facilities under exclusive Greek command and control.  All 
other defense articles provided by the United States to 
Greece, or provided by the United States to any other country 
or international organization and subsequently provided to 
Greece, shall be removed from Cyprus. 
 
No personnel other than those of Greece or the United States 
may be provided access to any defense article that was 
provided by the United States to Greece, including any 
defense article provided by another government or 
international organization with the authorization of the 
United States, without explicit permission of the United 
States. 
 
Any warehoused defense articles provided by the United States 
shall be under exclusive Greek command and control, which 
shall be maintained at all times, including after removal 
from storage. 
Effective implementation of these measures may require a 
small incremental addition of personnel, which isQ 
expected to exceed 300. 
 
The implementation of the above arrangements may be confirmed 
through visits in situ by U.S. personnel; such visits shall 
be facilitated by Greek military and civilian authorities 
whenever requested. 
 
It is our expectation that the implementation and 
Verification by the United States of the aforementioned 
 
 
arrangements will bring Greece into compliance with its 
obligations to the United States and lead to the removal of 
the constraints that the issue has placed on the relationship 
between the United States and the Government of Greece. 
 
(signature) 
Charalambos Rocanas 
Ambassador 
 
END TEXT OF ROCANAS LETTER 
 
¶6. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF AMBASSADOR RIES RESPONSE: 
 
May 22, 2007 
 
Dear Ambassador Rocanas: 
 
We have received your letter and find the proposed procedures 
regarding defense articles provided by the United States to 
be positive.  We appreciate your willingness to confirm in 
writing that Greece will allow site visits by U.S. personnel 
for the purpose of verification that actions are in 
accordance with those procedures.  As we noted in our 
conversation on February 22, 2007, and in subsequent 
conversations, certain conditions must be met before 
resolution of this issue is possible.  Resolution of this 
issue will depend on the unequivocal action by the GOG to 
fulfill its obligations to the United States governing arms 
transfers.  With the implementation of the following 
elements, and proper verification of such implementation, the 
Government of the United States of America will consider 
Greece to be in compliance with the aforementioned 
obligations to the United States with regard to the presence 
on Cyprus of defense articles provided by the United States: 
 
-- All defense articles provided pursuant to agreements 
between the United States and Greece entered into after 
December 22, 1987, must be removed from Cyprus; 
 
-- There will be no co-location of U.S.-provided equipment 
with Cypriot equipment; if the U.S.-provided equipment under 
Greek control is close to or adjacent to a Cypriot National 
Guard facility, there must exist a substantial physical 
separation between the U.S.-provided and the Cypriot 
equipment with a distinct entrance/exit under exclusive Greek 
controd fgr access to the U.S.-provided equipment, whiah does 
not involve transit through such AYprio4 facility; 
 
-- The U.S.-pr-Vided eQuipment shmUld be consolidated intoQ 
4he feweqT fumb R gf facilities possible; 
 
-- The nueb R of guards must be sufficient to provide 
adequ!te securi4y and control in accordance with e8istinc 
obligations. 
 
We remind you that no persons other than officers, employees, 
or agents of the Government of Greece or of the United States 
may be provided access to any defense articles provided by 
the United States. 
 
We expect to consult with your Government should we believe 
that any of these elements are not being properly implemented 
or should we believe that the Government of Greece has 
violated its obligations to the United States with respect to 
the presence on Cyprus of defense articles provided by the 
United States. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
(signature) 
 
Charles P. Ries 
 
END TEXT OF RIES RESPONSE 
RIES