US embassy cable - 05ATHENS587

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000587 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/SE, EUR/SNEC, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EPET, ENRG, EWWT, PHUM, GR, TU, BU, RS, AMB 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FEBRUARY 28 CALL ON DFM STYLIANIDIS: 
BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS PIPELINE AND TIP 
 
REF: SECSTATE 30117 
 
Classified By: AMB. CHARLES P. RIES FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  DFM Evripidis Stylianidis, at a February 
28 meeting with Ambassador, pitched the proposed 
Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline as a cheap and safe way to 
ship Russian oil to Western Europe and beyond.  Ambassador 
raised the stalled Greece-Albania child repatriation 
agreement as an important indicator of GoG progress for the 
upcoming TIP report.  Stylianidis said the delay was with 
other ministries, but promised to try and shake the agreement 
loose.  (Athens 573 reports Stylianidis' comments on Greece's 
Balkan Reconstruction Fund.) END SUMMARY. 
 
Renewed Pitch For Burgas-Alexandroupolis Pipeline 
 
2. (C)  At a February 28 meeting with Ambassador, DFM 
Evripidis Stylianidis spoke of his recent visit to Washington 
and meeting with Amb. Steven Mann to pitch the 
Burgas-Alexandroupolis bypass pipeline (ref).  Noting that 
this project had lain dormant for 11 years, Stylianidis said 
it was now moving ahead.  He argued Burgas-Alexandroupolis 
would be less expensive than (the full cost of) tankers 
transiting the Bosporus, or other pipeline initiatives, 
including AMBO and Baku-Ceyhan; significantly reduce transit 
times; and be more environmentally friendly.  The DFM said 
that Greece, Bulgaria and Russia had decided to provide the 
political backing -- and would soon sign an agreement to this 
effect -- but would leave the technical/business end 
(participation, financing) to private companies.  Asked if 
companies from other countries could participate, Stylianidis 
said companies would not be restricted to those belonging to 
Greece, Bulgaria or Russia, but that competition would be 
open to all.  The key challenge, Stylianidis went on, would 
be to convince Russian companies to commit sizable quantities 
of oil to the pipeline. 
 
3.  (C)  Dimitris Platis, Stylianidis' chef du cabinet and 
MFA pointman on energy issues, stressed that the pipeline 
would be far less risky than having tankers cross the 
Straits.  He noted that last year that the Bosporus had been 
closed for 23 days due to a fairly minor accident -- if there 
were a major accident, the Straits would be closed for far 
longer.  He concluded that more oil passing the Straits meant 
more risk.  With a bypass option, this risk would be 
significantly reduced as less oil would transit in this way. 
Stylianidis said that the GoG would keep Washington fully 
informed about the pipeline's status. 
 
TIP:  Greece-Albania Child Repatriation Agreement 
 
4.  (SBU) Asked about the status of this agreement, 
Stylianidis stated that the MFA had done its part in 
negotiating it, but that two other ministries -- Justice and 
Health -- had objections and that this was the source of the 
delay in signing.  The two ministries were concerned that the 
agreement did not contain sufficient protections for children 
repatriated.  The Ambassador encouraged Stylianidis to shake 
it loose.  Stylianidis promised to do so, saying he believed 
that in the end the MFA could convince the other ministries 
to clear. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Regarding other TIP matters, the DFM said the MFA 
recently doubled the amount of funding for NGOs and had 
involved the powerful Orthodox Church in anti-TIP activities. 
 Stylianidis also related that the GoG funds various TIP 
shelters, but that only 35 women had been admitted in the 
last 10 months.  He agreed with Ambassador's observation that 
lack of cooperation between police and NGOs in the 
identification and referral of victims could explain the 
small number of women being admitted to shelters. 
RIES