US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS4294

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 004294 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ FO PDAS BRADTKE, EUR/RPM, EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2014 
TAGS: PREL, CY, MT, TU, EUN, NATO, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: CYPRIOTS FLOAT A BALLOON ON NATO SECURITY 
AGREEMENT AND PFP 
 
REF: BRUSSELS 4082 
 
Classified By: USEU Political-Military Officer Jeremy Brenner for reaso 
ns 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: The Cypriot military representative to the EU 
suggests that Nicosia is giving serious consideration to 
negotiating a security agreement with NATO as part of an 
effort to resolve the blockage in EU-NATO strategic 
cooperation. Nicosia is also eager to participate in the EU 
Battlegroup program. End summary. 
 
NATO Security Agreement 
----------------------- 
2. (C)  Cypriot Military Representative to the European 
Union, Lt. Colonel Pantelis Christophorou (strictly protect) 
told USEU polmiloffs that Nicosia was giving very serious 
consideration to negotiating a security agreement with NATO 
as part of a strategy to resolve the problem of participation 
by Cyprus and Malta in discussions of EU-NATO strategic 
cooperation.  Christophorou said that he had discussed the 
issue with the Cypriot Permanent Representative to the EU, 
and that the mission was prepared to send the proposal 
directly to President Papadopoulos, on the condition that 
they were given a "green light" signaling Turkey's acceptance 
of the plan. 
 
PfP Membership 
-------------- 
3. (C) Christophorou lamented his exclusion from meetings 
where NATO classified information (NCI) is discussed, and 
said that Nicosia wanted to be a full participant in EU 
defense matters.  Adherence to a security agreement with NATO 
would remove one of the obstacles cited by Turkey preventing 
Cyprus and Malta from participating in discussions involving 
NCI.  Access to NCI would also require subscription to the 
PfP framework document, under the provisions of the EU-NATO 
Security Agreement.  Christophorou said that PfP membership 
or even accession to NATO are under consideration in Nicosia, 
although he acknowledged that there would be some domestic 
political opposition in Parliament.  He argued that political 
circumstances in Nicosia have evolved to the point where 
these subjects can be raised for serious consideration.  He 
told us that the major impediment was concern over a negative 
response from Turkey. 
 
Rejecting the Plan, Not Reunification 
------------------------------------- 
4. (C) Christophorou contended that the "no" vote by Greek 
Cypriots on the Annan plan for reunification was a vote 
against the plan, not against reunification.  He said that 
reunification is working in practice, with residents of 
Northern Cyprus free to travel in the south.  He cited 
security concerns as the major reason for the rejection of 
the Annan plan, but said that Cyprus as a whole should not be 
made to suffer because Turkey seeks to punish the Greek 
Cypriots for rejecting the reunification plan. 
 
Aiming for December 
------------------- 
5. (C) He suggested that the security agreement could be 
pushed ahead quickly, perhaps even by December in order to be 
part of a package that would coincide with a positive message 
to Turkey on EU accession. 
 
Battlegroup Participation 
------------------------- 
6. (C) Christophorou was enthusiastic about the possibility 
of Cypriot participation in an EU battlegroup. He said that 
Cyprus had no preconceived ideas about potential partners in 
such a unit, saying that Nicosia was open to any possibility. 
Christophorou suggested that Cyprus had a number of 
facilities and other assets to offer to an EU battlegroup, 
although they could not offer more than a platoon or two of 
troops.  He said that he was unaware of any national caveats 
that would prevent Cypriots troops from being deployed 
outside their national territory or restrict the kinds of 
duties they could perform. He mused that it would be an odd 
circumstance for Cypriot forces to be deployed on 
peacekeeping missions outside the country while the Island 
itself was still divided. 
7. (C) Comment: Christophorou would not be likely to trot out 
the prospect of a security agreement without instructions 
from Nicosia.  As a practical matter, Cyprus already adheres 
to the EU security arrangement, which was itself designed to 
meet NATO standards.  Acquiescence by Ankara at the NAC would 
remove one obstacle to broader EU-NATO cooperation at a time 
when the pace of military/ESDP activity is increasing within 
the EU. We defer to Embassy Nicosia to evaluate Lt. Col. 
Christophorou's assertion that the political climate has 
evolved sufficiently to allow for discussion of PfP 
membership. What is clear, is that this blockage is shutting 
off significant avenues of new cooperation between NATO and 
the EU, and Ankara is not winning any friends within the EU 
by its stance. 
 
Schnabel