Athens , 1 February 2010

Mr. Paikos: Alternate Foreign Minister Mr. Dimitris Droutsas is on the line with us. Mr. Minister, good morning.

Mr. Kottakis: Good morning.

Mr. Droutsas: Good morning to you and your listeners.

Mr. Paikos: Mr. Droutsas, this month looks to be particularly difficult from a financial point of view. We’ve asked this question before, but we’d like to hear your answer on this. Do you feel that your diplomatic activities have become more difficult at the current adverse economic juncture?

Mr. Droutsas: I think it is only logical that my life and my efforts – and Greece’s efforts, in general – are not made easier.

Mr. Paikos: We’re currently asking for help, we’re asking for a loan. And I don't know to what extent this means we are using up our diplomatic capital as well.

Mr. Droutsas: Despite the fact that this obviously affects our efforts, I would like to stress that we’re trying – and I think we’ve already managed to take the first steps – to bring Greece back to the international arena. That is, Greece should no longer appear to be the poor relation – I apologize for using this expression – the one who keeps asking for things, but instead to show that Greece can indeed play a role in international developments and make its own contribution.

Mr. Paikos: Yes, you mean by taking initiatives.

Mr. Droutsas: Exactly. Here, I am referring to the issue of the Balkans, the issue of the Middle East, on which Greece indeed has capital that it must use in the right manner.

Mr. Kottakis: Mr. Minister, if you allow me, what capital are you talking about, when we are taking the "2014 Agenda" initiative on the Western Balkans' integration, but it is the Bulgarian Prime Minister who was negotiating with our farmers on the border? Doesn’t that mean that the country loses face automatically?

Mr. Droutsas: Let’s be honest, the blockades do not bolster Greece’s image, far from it.

Mr. Paikos: You will have very interesting contacts with Hillary Clinton and other officials in the U.S. If you had to pick one topic, what would you say will be at the top of your talks?

Mr. Droutsas: In all honesty, we will not try to focus on our own issues alone. Of course, we will make the most of our talks in order to present our own positions once again, our own approach to our relations with Turkey, finding a solution on the Cyprus issue, and the FYROM name issue.

Mr. Paikos: The Macedonian issue.

Mr. Droutsas: Exactly. But beyond these talks, my objective is to point out what I said earlier: the role that Greece can play in certain parts of the world; in our immediate neighbourhood, the Balkans, and particularly in the Middle East. I want us to try together to find the areas where we can work jointly.

Mr. Paikos: You mean, to claim a leading role once again.

Mr. Droutsas: Of course. A role that we ought to have.

Mr. Kottakis: Mr. Minister, Mr. Davutoglu’s statements about “a new horizon in front of us” following your meeting in London made quite an impression. In diplomatic talk, “new horizons” indicates progress. What was Mr. Davutoglu so enthusiastic about that made him use this expression following your meeting?

Mr. Droutsas: We truly had a very constructive meeting. I think that an important element lies in the – very positive, in my opinion – experiences from the recent past; our efforts as a government in the 1999-2004 period. We will try to revitalize this rapprochement, this effort to cooperate with Turkey, taking very careful steps and being very well prepared. And, of course, by setting our own terms too. I think that this is a common approach. It is the approach and the political willingness to work together, which Prime Minister Papandreou saw in his contacts with Mr. Erdogan, and which I could see in my own meetings and talks with Mr. Davutoglu.

Mr. Kottakis: But you see, Mr. Minister, parts of the press and the opposition are distrustful. Yesterday, there were reports in the press claiming that the Aegean will be on the table. At the same time, the main opposition party – through its leader, Mr. Samaras – is asking for a briefing on the letters that Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Erdogan exchanged.

Will you show Mr. Erdogan's letter, if the main opposition asks for it?

Mr. Paikos: Why did you not make the whole letter public?

Mr. Kottakis: Yes, you should show it. And if it is a document that can’t be made public, will you show it to the main opposition? Will you brief them?

Mr. Droutsas: Let’s start with the letters. I’ll say this in a clear manner, as always. A government that is serious should not play around with the Prime Minister’s correspondence. Foreign policy is not conducted for communication purposes. We are exercising a substantial foreign policy.

I am of course at the disposal of all the political parties and their leaders for further briefing. But I want to stress that I am at their disposal not only for further briefing, but also for a substantial, sincere exchange of views; in order for us to be truly able to work jointly on this effort currently being undertaken by the government.

Mr. Kottakis: What used to happen in the past, Mr. Droutsas, is that the Foreign Minister – and you are the Minister – took the initiative himself or herself to meet with the leader of the main opposition party or all the opposition leaders, either at the National Council on Foreign Policy or in one-to-one meetings; that’s what Mr. Molyviatis did when he received the letter from Mr. Nimetz on the Skopje issue and that’s what Ms. Bakoyannis did as well. That is, the other side did not need to ask for a meeting.

Mr. Droutsas: Has anyone told you that we are not taking – or that we are not willing to take – this initiative?

Mr. Kottakis: We’ll wait and see. We’re happy to hear that.

Mr. Droutsas: Just allow me to say one thing, I don’t want to get into an argument about who said it first.

Mr. Paikos: Yes, quite rightly.

Mr. Droutsas: Look, as I said, this is a joint initiative. Our willingness is obvious and the National Council on Foreign Policy will convene and there will be a briefing of the Hellenic Parliament as well as a one-to-one briefing of opposition leaders. As I said, this is self-evident to us and to me personally, and they will be carried out in the right manner.

Mr. Paikos: Right.

Mr. Kottakis: And what about the Aegean? According to a Sunday newspaper article, Mr. Papandreou’s letter includes the term “Aegean” instead of “Athens FIR”. Are you negotiating beyond the lines?

Mr. Droutsas: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify this and point it out. There's often talk of “dialogue on all matters”, “secret diplomacy”, all these are typical slogans - if you like - used in Greece for internal political disagreements. In my view, these slogans lack any real content and are, of course, unfounded.

The government’s approach is to keep up the position that Greece has had for many years – decades, I would say; nothing has changed.

Mr. Paikos: It’s the same – right.

Mr. Droutsas: We are saying that these efforts for cooperation with Turkey are aimed at the delimitation of the continental shelf.

Mr. Paikos: Yes, but for the first time you have set a timeframe, or rather you’re asking for a timeframe.

Mr. Droutsas: Exactly. We have said that this process cannot remain open-ended, because it will lead us nowhere. We have said that if, after a reasonable amount of time, we are not able to reach the desired outcome through exploratory talks…

Mr. Paikos: …we should turn to The Hague.

Mr. Droutsas: So we’re saying that we should jointly address ourselves to the ICJ.

Mr. Kottakis: Did Mr. Davutoglu agree with the timeframe at your meeting?

Mr. Droutsas: I will be perfectly honest. We did not go into the details of all of these issues. It was an initial exchange of views and positions, also on the letters exchanged between our two Prime Ministers.

Mr. Kottakis: I’m saying in principle, not by setting dates. I’m asking whether there was agreement in principle to set a timeframe and then turn to the Court. I’m not talking about a specific date.

Mr. Droutsas: We’ve had a sincere exchange of views on very many matters. But if you’ll allow me, I will not be the one to make Mr. Davutoglu’s positions public.

Mr. Paikos: Now, a few words on Mr. Ban Ki-moon, because his visit was a bit of a surprise, as it came at a time when discussions between the two communities are still underway. They’re not ripe, if you will. So what is he trying to do? Is he trying to create a new momentum in your view, according to your information?

Mr. Droutsas: I had the opportunity to meet with the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in London. There’s a sense that we are at a particularly important phase in these talks. You know very well that the international community – everyone who has been monitoring developments in Cyprus – has been talking about an opportunity, a momentum, now that Mr. Talat is President Christofias’ collocutor.

Mr. Paikos: But the question is, how long will Mr. Talat be there?

Mr. Droutsas: Precisely. As we know, there will be ‘elections’ in the occupied section, and there is a feeling that Mr. Talat might not win this election.

Mr. Paikos: Yes, he might not get re-elected.

Mr. Droutsas: That is why there is now a sense that an effort should be made now. And in this spirit, the UN Secretary General explained to me that he wanted to visit Cyprus and try to use his own standing too.

Mr. Paikos: Strengthen this effort with his standing.

Mr. Droutsas: I’ll be frank. My answer to him was that Greece fully supports the process and President Christofias’ efforts. Greece and the Greek government will of course support any initiative the UN Secretary General thinks will promote efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue. But I also clearly told him that our view is that the negotiation process is not mature enough yet for us to be optimistic that a solution can be found.

Mr. Paikos: Mr. Minister, have a good trip and good luck with your work there.

Mr. Kottakis: We hope you get good results.

Mr. Droutsas: Thank you very much.