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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAO YI KV KMDR GR
SUBJECT: GREECE: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE 
 
¶1. Summary and Introduction:  News of Kosovo's declaration of 
independence this weekend arrived during a rare heavy snowfall in 
Athens, simultaneous with surprising results from the elections in 
Cyprus and just ahead of another round of negotiations on the 
Macedonia name issue.  In this heavy environment, the Greek media 
has been reporting regularly and factually on developments in 
Pristina and Belgrade, giving roughly equal prominence to images of 
Kosovar Albanians waving American and Albanian flags as they 
celebrated, and to pictures of Serbians burning the blue and yellow 
flag of the new state the following day.  Reports are giving roughly 
equal time to the EU's "split" on the matter, U.S. recognition, and 
Russia's positions.  Alongside a moderate amount of what we would 
characterize as cautiously apprehensive analysis and commentary, 
Ambassador Speckhard's op-ed entitled "A Better Future for 
Kosovo...and its Neighbors" appeared in independent, influential 
Kathimerini on Sunday. 
 
¶2.  As usual, depending on their partisan affiliations, major 
newspapers' headlines reflect Greek positions articulated Monday by 
Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis after the special E Ministerial in 
Brussels, or PASOK leader Geoge Papandreou during a meeting of the 
opposition party's Political Coordinating Council.  Bakoyannis said 
among other things that Greece would decide on Kosovo's recognition 
"at a later stage," and stressed the need for stability.  She also 
indicated Greece would participate in the EU force.  Papandreou 
reportedly said, according to two major papers, that Greece should 
not recognize Kosovo, and expressed concern about the consequences 
of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence.  End Summary and 
Introduction. 
 
¶3.  Indicative, locally-produced news analysis and commentary were 
as follows.  No lead editorials have appeared so far. 
 
¶A.  To Vima (centrist, opposition) front-page lead headline: 
"Commotion in the Balkans: The Phantom of 'the danger from the 
North'...The Skopje and the Kosovo Dominos.  PM Karamanlis Mulling 
over All-Party Leadership Meeting.  EU is Split, Russia's Reaction." 
 Text:  "The phantom of the 'danger from the North' is revisiting 
the Balkans, fueling concern in Greece.  This time it does not take 
the form of the Warsaw Pact, but of the instability that is 
generated by the unilateral declaration of Kosovo's independence and 
the lingering issue of the name for Skopje.  Greek diplomacy faces 
crucial decisions." 
 
In a separate story, To Vima reports that PM Karamanlis and German 
Chancellor Merkel had a telephone conversation last Saturday on 
Kosovo and the policy the EU should follow.  Merkel, who telephoned 
Karamanlis, the paper says, informed him "of her government's 
decision not to recognize Kosovo immediately.  Karamanlis told 
Merkel the Greek government would not rush to take any decisions in 
anticipation of the EU Summit of March 14." 
 
¶B. Kathimerini (influential, independent) front-page story above the 
fold: "EU Split over Kosovo.  U.S. Recognizes it Formally; Russia, 
China Disagree."  Text: "While American President Bush reaffirmed 
his support for Kosovo's independence and Secretary of State Rice 
later announced the creation of a new state, Pristina's unilateral 
act divides the EU and the UN.  Turkey rushed to recognize Kosovo 
yesterday ... Russia and China voiced their strong concern, 
underlining the division at the Security Council."  The paper 
continues with reporting from its Moscow correspondent Achilleas 
Patsoukas under the title: "Moscow Enraged, Warns of Domino 
Effect." 
 
In a commentary entitled "Dangerous Precedent," Kathimerini senior 
analyst Stavros Lygeros writes: "The decision on Kosovo's unilateral 
declaration was taken by Washington last spring.  It was taken when 
it was made clear that the Ahtisaari Plan had no chance of being 
ratified by the Security Council because of the Russian veto. 
Initially, Americans believed Moscow was negotiating in order to 
secure tradeoffs on other fronts.  When they realized their mistake 
they turned to deviating from international legality ... Countries 
with minorities and with irredentist movements justifiably believe 
that Kosovo's recognition paves a dangerous way.  Their turn may 
come one day ... This issue concerns Hellenism directly.  Sooner or 
later Kosovo's independence will be used as a pretext for the 
recognition of the Cypriot fake state.  However, Turkey is not 
positioned to win.  It is also positioned to lose because of the 
Kosovo precedent.  The latter facilitates the creation of a Kurdish 
state in northern Iraq and provides the legal basis for the 
irredentist views of Kurds in Turkey." 
 
In a different commentary entitled "American Insistence," Professor 
Thanos Veremis also says in Kathimerini:  "Kosovo's independence was 
expected.  What is impressive is the American insistence that 
Kosovars' self-determination is a unique case among the plethora of 
relevant requests put forth by similar entities.  One of the reasons 
that makes America's commitment to Kosovo's independence problematic 
is that it provokes Russia's Putin to again take on the Great Power 
role in the Balkans ... Russian fears that stem primarily from the 
emancipation of Chechnya may be confirmed also in the case of 
Republica Srpska ... Greece has adopted a wait-and-see stance in 
view of Nimetz's final proposal [on the Macedonia name issue].  If 
 
ATHENS 00000227  002 OF 002 
 
 
the solution is satisfactory, and the American support obviou, then 
Greece may join the EU countries that ill recognize Kosovo ... The 
question of why he USG insists on this issue [Kosovo] remains 
nanswered.  If it is a quid pro quo with the Middle East Muslims, 
then Mr. Bush has added one more rash action to the many he has 
already committed." 
 
¶C. Eleftherotypia (left-of-centr, opposition) headlines: "EU 
Recognitions at ill."  The paper also prints its Moscow 
correspondent Thanassis Avgherinos's dispatch entitled: "Russia 
Threatens to Recognize Abkhazia,South Ossetia, and Transdniester." 
In commentry, a Deutsche Welle editorial entitled "Centrifgal 
Forces" appears, concluding: "Only when borders are abolished and 
Serbia and Kosovo are equal EU members will stability and peace 
prevail in the region.  There is a long way to get there." 
 
¶D. Ethnos (left-of-center, opposition) has a two-page spread inside 
headline: "Bush Gives the Signal for a Barrage of Recognitions, 
While Moscow Fights for Kosovo at the UN."  The spread includes a 
picture of Kosovar Albanians holding a banner that reads: "Without 
Kosovo and Chameria there is no Albania - Independence to Kosovo." 
The caption reads in part:  "Kosovo's unilateral declaration of 
independence feeds extreme elements, threatening stability in the 
entire region.  The scene with the banner traveled all over the 
world through CNN." 
 
¶E. Eleftheros Typos (centrist) carries a story headlined: "Concern 
over a Separatist Domino."  In an accompanying story, the paper 
says: "The specter of [recognition of] the fake state in [northern] 
Cyprus prompted by the statements of Russians and Serbs, in tandem 
with Ankara's policy that engenders separatist trends in Thrace, 
forces Athens to adopt a wait-and-see stance.  Athens will keep its 
cards close for as long as it takes, but as diplomatic sources have 
affirmed, it will not vindicate the expectation of Belgrade that 
would like support from the Karamanlis government." 
 
SPECKHARD