VZCZCXRO9545
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHTH #1350/01 2671424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231424Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2532
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 001350 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/ACE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID KMCA KCERS KIPR GR GA AF
SUBJECT: GREECE CULTIVATING LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ON 
CLIMATE CHANGE, IMPROVING IPR ENFORCEMENT AND CONTINUING 
SUPPORT FOR GEORGIA 
 
REF: A. (A) SECSTATE 100093 
     ¶B. (B) ATHENS 1288 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  In a wide-ranging discussion with DCM, MFA 
Secretary General for International Economic Affairs Theodore 
Skylakakis emphasized steps he is taking to improve contacts 
with least-developed countries on climate change.  He hopes 
his efforts will lead to increased coordination, hopefully 
improving the West's negotiating position i& &54QQ% !$)%!4%QQ 
change negotiations.  S)Q$!!!))1 34Q$Q1%$ Q(% )%portance of 
the ECCC T) hiS %"baRQQ Ta !)iRdinate a broad range of 
$!#"QQ)#!!Q$%!Q!)!Q )Qques with other ministries$ "!QQ"! )"QQ 
QQQQ)!QQ!r that he was upbeat on ()1 I@R ! "#2QQQ Group" he 
(!Q ""%!Q$$ 5"$$Q the aegis of his interagency IPR Committee. 
 Lastly, he said Greece, which had already donated more than 
750,000 Euros in assistance to Georgia, was planning on 
committing additional amounts at the upcoming EU Georgia 
Donor's Conference.  End Summary. 
 
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"We Need to Convince Them They Do Not Share 
Climate Change Interests with China and India" 
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¶2.  (SBU) Skylakakis spoke with passion about his interest in 
climate change, telling the DCM on September 19 that he has 
taken on the title of "Coordinator for Climate Change Issues" 
within the MFA.  He noted that time was short for negotiating 
the follow-up to the Kyoto Treaty, and expressed his view 
that the West had not done enough to cultivate the large 
number of least-developed countries. "At this point, they 
almost automatically think they fall into a policy group led 
by China and India.  They do not."  Skylakakis explained 
that, whereas China and India are reaping high growth rates 
in part as a result of lax environmental policies, the 
least-developed countries are not.  In fact, many of the 
least-developed countries not only do not see any growth, but 
are directly endangered by climate change.  The West, in 
Skylakakis' view, has not taken advantage of this to forge a 
consensus with a significant voting bloc that could be very 
influential in future climate change negotiations. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Skylakakis pointed to a number of specific 
agreements the GoG was about to conclude to help achieve his 
vision.  The first was an MOU with the African Union (which 
in fact was signed by the Foreign Minister September 22). 
Skylakakis, who is also in charge of Hellenic Aid (Greece's 
USAID equivalent), said the MOU would incorporate a 
significant assistance component of approximately 12 million 
Euros.  Secondly, Greece was aiming to sign a similar 
agreement with Caribbean Community on September 23. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  The DCM thanked Skylakakis for his vision and 
commitment, and agreed on the importance of thinking ahead 
about the successor to Kyoto.  She noted that the USG's 
interest in the environment, already strong, was destined 
only to intensify over the coming months and years.  She 
looked forward to working closely with Skylakakis on the best 
way forward. 
 
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IPR Working Group on Enforcement 
Holds "Positive, Productive" Meeting 
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¶5. (SBU) Skylakakis gave a short read-out on IPR.  He thanked 
the DCM for the USG's heightened engagement with Greece on 
the issue, illustrated by the recent visits of Commerce 
Department and USTR staff.  He acknowledged these 
individuals' concern about the GoG's Interagency IPR 
Committee not meeting again until December.  What he hoped 
that Washington-based USG personnel had taken away from their 
recent visits, however, was the intensive, ongoing 
preparations for the December meeting.  Specifically, he had 
created a number of lower-level working groups, which were 
meeting now.  The working group on enforcement, for example, 
had met September 19 and included a wide-range of GoG 
officials.  He proudly noted the group included the Secretary 
General of the Ministry of Interior as well as the police 
lieutenant who actually worked IPR on the street.  This group 
had focused on ways to increase the number of raids on the 
warehouses where IPR contraband was produced and stored.  It 
had also looked at ways to improve the information technology 
used by Greek judges so that they would know when they were 
trying repeat offenders.  Skylakakis noted that there were a 
number of other working groups in the process of meeting. 
 
ATHENS 00001350  002 OF 002 
 
 
One was focusing on the best ways to measure IPR violations 
in Greece.  Skylakakis promised to continue this work and to 
continue his close cooperation with the Embassy on it. 
 
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GoG Plans to Announce Aditional 
Commitment to Georgia at EU Donors Conference 
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¶6. (SBU) The DCM delivered Ref. A talking points on Georgian 
assistance.  Skylakakis indicated that the GoG is planning to 
present a pledge of additional bilateral assistance (beyond 
assistance outlined in Ref B) at the EU donors conference, 
but is still deliberating on the right amount and type of 
aid.  Skylakakis noted that Greece has a strong record of 
support for Georgia due to historical ties and the existence 
of ethnic Greeks throughout Georgia, including in South 
Ossetia. 
SPECKHARD