VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTH #0198/01 0411417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 101416Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1505
INFO RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS

UNCLAS ATHENS 000198 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID ETRD ENRG GR
SUBJECT: GREECE???"New Directions in the U.S-Greece Economic 
Relationship" U.S.- Greece Economic and Commercial Cooperation 
Commission Meeting, March 17-19, 2010 
 
STATE for EEB/CBA - Hariton 
 
STATE for S/EEE - Neff 
 
STATE pass to USAID 
 
STATE pass to EPA 
 
Commerce for ITA/MAC - Hilleary Smith 
 
 
 
This is an action cable.  See paras 1-2. 
 
 
 
¶1.      Post is seeking to recruit senior level Administration 
officials to participate in a mid-March (likely March 17-19) 
strategic economic dialogue with Greek counterparts.  The United 
States-Greece Economic and Commercial Cooperation Commission (ECCC) 
re-established in 2007 to channel senior dialogue on key bilateral 
and regional economic and financial issues, has taken on added 
urgency with Greece's budget deficit crisis and a new Greek 
government's major initiatives to both restructure the country's 
post WWII economic framework and inject badly needed transparency 
into government operations. 
 
 
 
¶2.      Post requests Department assistance in reaching out to 
Departments of Commerce, Energy, Treasury, USAID, Small Business 
Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, to apprise 
them of the ECCC's goals (detailed below) and the critical role 
their principals can play in shaping a new Greek economy while 
advancing key U.S. foreign policy and trade objectives. 
 
 
 
¶3.      Greek Prime Minister Papandreou's explicit acknowledgement 
that his country must drastically and quickly reform its economy, 
as well as Greece's desire for increased international trade and 
investment, create new opportunities for diversifying and building 
the United States-Greece economic relationship.  With the new Greek 
government's focus on economic reform, innovation, e-government, 
and the "greening" of the economy, we have an almost unique 
opportunity to advance our mutual objectives, expand U.S. exports 
of goods and services, and help Greece become a stronger, more 
stable and prosperous partner in the region and beyond.  Greece has 
recently partnered with the United States on major projects for 
women's education and potable water in Afghanistan and is seeking 
further opportunities to link on projects in this area and others. 
 
 
 
¶4.      Greek officials have shown strong interest in scientific 
exchange, particularly as it relates to innovative and "green" 
technologies (renewable), and in making the structural reforms to 
create a more business-friendly environment and to promote foreign 
direct investment.  For U.S. exporters of goods and services, as 
well as current and potential investors, the ECCC represents the 
kind of commercial diplomacy that can support President Obama's 
recently-announced "National Export Initiative" to expand U.S. 
exports two-fold over five years. 
 
 
 
¶5.      In addition to the strategic dialogue economic issues, ECCC 
participants will: 
 
*         Explore a new export initiative, focusing on innovation, 
"green" energy, environmental technologies, IT/software and 
security/safety of borders/airports/ports; 
 
*         Establish increased partnership between USAID and 
Hellenic Aid focused in key areas, including Afghanistan and the 
Western Balkans; 
 
*         Identify concrete initiatives to improve intellectual 
property protection and enforcement; 
 
*         Discuss the negative impact and credibility gap when 
Greek government financial obligations, such as pharmaceutical and 
medical device debts, go unpaid; 
 
*         Identify opportunities for cooperation in renewable 
 
 
 
energy, energy efficiency, and border security; 
 
*         Seek opportunities to increase activity under the 
bilateral S&T agreement, including expanding scientific exchanges 
and joint R&D projects; 
 
*         Share best practices on e-governance and explore a 
U.S.-Greek partnership in Greece; 
 
*         Support Greece's role as a gas/oil transit country, to 
enhance energy security for Europe by diversifying its sources and 
routes; 
 
*         Discuss Greek government procurement practices to boost 
opportunities for U.S. firms. 
 
 
 
¶6.      The Greek government is hosting this year's ECCC and is 
proposing a two-day session with one day focused on 
government-to-government issues and one half-day devoted to private 
sector themes. 
 
 
 
¶7.      For the government-to-government dialogue, senior officials 
from a cross section of government agencies in both countries will 
share views, define clear objectives for cooperation, and agree on 
concrete strategies to achieve those objectives.  To ensure the 
fullest range of detailed discussions, topic-focused working groups 
led by responsible agencies may be set up to report conclusions to 
a plenary. 
 
 
 
¶8.      Potential events for the ECCC private sector element 
include: 
 
*         Meeting with senior Greek officials on the latest 
developments on Greece's economic stability program and engagement 
with the European Union. 
 
 
 
*         Meeting with Greek business leaders and industrialists, 
hosted by SEV, to hear views on what reforms are/should be 
addressed and which sectors should be highlighted for economic 
development. 
 
 
 
*    Meeting with U.S. business community in Greece, hosted by 
the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce in Greece, to hear about 
challenges and opportunities in the marketplace. 
 
 
 
*    Roundtables, organized by business sector or topic, with 
American and Greek business representatives speaking candidly to 
Greek and U.S. government officials about opportunities for, and 
challenges to, investing/doing business in Greece. 
 
 
 
¶9.      Post envisions the ECCC agenda unfolding thus: 
 
 
 
¶I. Opening Plenary Session:  Delegation leaders from the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (possibly Deputy Foreign Minister Kouvelis) and 
Departments of State and Commerce set the objectives and framework 
for the day's work.  Press coverage; photo spray at the top. 
 
 
 
II. Single Discussion or Concurrent Working Discussions - Morning 
(no press) 
 
 
 
Global Macro-Economic Trends: Discussion of current trends in the 
global economy and their impact on Greece's economy and private 
business.  U.S. side could share Obama Administration priorities 
for and paths to economic recovery; Greek side could discuss 
challenges with budget deficit and economic reform.  (U.S. Treasury 
 
 
 
and Greek Finance and Economy Ministries) 
 
 
 
Energy Diversification and Efficiency:  Review of Greece's domestic 
energy needs and ways to encourage foreign and domestic investment 
in the energy sector, while increasing the efficiency and 
environmental friendliness of energy use.  Explore opportunities 
for joint cooperation in the field of renewable energy, 
particularly photovoltaic and wind technologies.  Greece's role as 
a transit country for regional oil and gas projects, as well as the 
policy tools for accomplishing this, should also be discussed. 
(U.S. Department of Energy, State EEB/CBA, Ambassador Morningstar's 
office, and Greek Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate 
Change.) 
 
 
 
E-Governance and Transparency:  Discuss the Greek government's 
desire to introduce e-governance throughout a broad swath of public 
institutions (including the Ministries of Finance, Health, Economy, 
Justice, and Citizens' Protection), helping to increase 
transparency and reduce bureaucracy.  Explore opportunities for 
sharing U.S. best practices on e-governance.  Discuss possible 
e-governance technical assistance to improve efficiency and 
effectiveness of Greek government systems, such as tax collection. 
(Greek Finance and Economy Ministries, U.S. Department of State, 
and U.S. Treasury) 
 
 
 
III. Delegation Lunch 
 
 
 
IV. Single Discussion or Concurrent Working Discussions - Afternoon 
(no press) 
 
 
 
Building an Innovative Economy: Discussion of the elements of a 
knowledge-based, internationally competitive economy, including 
topics like rule of law, intellectual property protection and 
enforcement, educational flexibility, access to credit and 
investment by start-up companies and SME's, and the role of 
governments in providing basic regulatory, telecommunications, and 
transportation infrastructure. (U.S. Department of State and Greek 
Ministry of Economy) 
 
 
 
Business Partnerships Around the Globe:  Discussion of the 
potential for business and other economic cooperation in third 
markets during which we should identify markets with potential for 
cooperation and discuss mechanisms for increasing cooperation with 
the business sector.  A potential for follow-on cooperation between 
SEV and the U.S.-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce with their Balkan and 
Eastern Mediterranean counterparts is possible.  (Ministry of 
Economy, Competitiveness, and Shipping, and Department of State.) 
 
 
 
Development Assistance Cooperation in Emerging Democracies: 
Discussion of the potential for Hellenic Aid to participate in the 
development, capacity building, and reconstruction of fragile 
states, such as Afghanistan, Western Balkan and Sub-Saharan 
nations.  Explore opportunities for collaboration between Hellenic 
Aid and USAID in Greece's target countries.  (USAID and Hellenic 
Aid.) 
 
 
 
¶V. Concluding Plenary Session:  Leaders of the working sessions 
report their conclusions back to the plenary group, and assemble a 
consolidated list of conclusions and recommendations, which will 
form the basis of an "Action Plan" to be finalized shortly 
thereafter and published on each country's respective public 
websites.  The Action Plan will guide the ECCC's work for the 
coming year, providing concrete benchmarks and forming the basis of 
a report card.  Approval of press statement. (no press) 
 
¶I. 
 
VI. Meeting with Prime Minister (and Foreign Minister) Papandreou 
and/or Deputy Foreign Minister Kouvelis:  Heads of Delegation 
 
 
 
report to the senior political leadership on the day's discussions 
and conclusions. 
 
 
 
VII. Statements to Press and Questions and Answers:  Heads of 
delegation hold a press conference to report to the Greek, U.S., 
and international press, as well as to the private sector, on the 
conclusions and recommendations developed during the day's 
meetings. 
 
 
 
VIII. Reception/Dinner (government delegations and private sector 
representatives) 
Speckhard