Athens, 27 November 2008
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: Good morning. Let me start with a statement from the Foreign Minister:
“Yesterday’s terrorist attacks in India are creating a sense of abhorrence and anger throughout the world, internationally. These are ruthless, cowardly, criminal acts that everyone condemns in the most categorical, unequivocal manner.
We condemn them because, above all, they are actions that assail every notion of respect for the supreme human right – the right to life – and of respect for human dignity.”
On Monday, 1 December, the 41st round of Greek-Turkish exploratory talks will take place in Istanbul, between Ambassador Vassilis Pispinis and Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan.
Regarding Foreign Minister Ms. Bakoyannis’ programme, today at 12:45 she will participate in the Prime Minister’s meeting with Cypriot President Mr. Demetris Christofias at the Maximos Mansion. At 18:00 today, she will meet with her Cypriot counterpart, Mr. Kyprianou, at the Foreign Ministry.
Tomorrow – Friday – Ms. Bakoyannis will receive the outgoing Kuwaiti Ambassador to Athens at 12:00, and at 12:30 she will receive the outgoing UK Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Simon Gass.
On Monday, 1 December, at the Foreign Ministry, Ms. Bakoyannis will receive the Netherlands Minister of European Affairs, Mr. Timmermans.
On Tuesday, 2 December, Ms. Bakoyannis will travel to Brussels to participate in the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on 2 and 3 December.
The main issues on the Meeting’s agenda are the situations in Afghanistan and Kosovo; NATO-Russian relations and, within the framework of this issue, a discussion of the recent proposal from the Russian President for a new treaty on European security. Other issues will include piracy and the Mediterranean dialogue, and the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia committees will convene.
After the NATO Meeting, Ms. Bakoyannis will travel to Helsinki to participate in the 16th OSCE Ministerial Conference on 4 and 5 December. As you know, Greece will be taking over the OSCE Chairmanship from Finland on 1 January 2009.
Within this framework, and as the next Chairmanship of the OSCE, the Minister will preside over the third session of the Conference, on the morning of Friday, 5 December, and on the margins of the Ministerial Conference she will have bilateral meetings with her counterparts.
Ms. Bakoyannis will close the proceedings of the Conference on Friday afternoon and will answer questions from the media in the OSCE Troika joint press conference scheduled for 13:30.
The OSCE Ministerial Conference will discuss and adopt resolutions concerning the 3 dimensions of OSCE activities, as well as issues concerning the functioning of the Organization and its missions.
In particular, there is to be an extensive discussion of the situation in Georgia and the future of the OSCE mission in the region, the future of European security, and French President Sarkozy’s proposal for an OSCE summit meeting some time in 2009.
Now on to the Deputy Foreign Ministers’ programmes.
Today, Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Valinakis is carrying out a visit to Prague, where he will meet with the Czech Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Alexandr Vodra and Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Kohout. This visit is taking place ahead of the Czech Republic’s six-month Presidency of the EU, which begins on 1 January 2009. On Monday, 1 December, at 13:00, Mr. Valinakis will meet at the Foreign Ministry with the Netherlands Minister of European Affairs, Mr. Timmermans.
Today at 12:30, Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Doukas will participate in the talks at the Maximos Mansion, within the framework of Cypriot President Christofias’ state visit to Athens, and at 18:00 he will address the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference on “Cyprus – International Business Centre”.
Since yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Kassimis has been carrying out a visit to Alexandria, Egypt, where he will attend the official opening of the Alexandria Centre for Hellenistic Studies, which will take place at the Library of Alexandria. On Sunday, 30 November, Mr. Kassimis will travel to Istanbul to attend the throne celebration of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Any questions?
Ms. Fryssa: A question on the Cyprus issue, given President Christofias’ state visit. How true is the information to the effect that the Greek Foreign Minister is thinking of intervening at this stage in the consultations on the Cyprus issue?
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: As our meeting and the consultations taking place at the Maximos Mansion are taking place at the same time, and the President and Prime Minister will make brief statements following their meeting, I would prefer not to talk about the Cyprus issue at all, in light of the statements that are to be made.
Mr. Kallarytis: According to allegations made by ethnic Greeks in Chimara, Albania, the Albanian government is carrying out another operation of seizing real estate belonging to members of the ethnic Greek minority. And in fact, the Chimara ethnic Greeks claim that they have left their houses and gone to their fields in order to protect them from the company that has been hired by the government and is carrying out expropriations. Is there any comment? Will the Greek government intervene in any way?
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: From time to time, Chimara residents of Greek origin have confronted more or less serious problems concerning the security of their property.
I am not aware of this particular case – I don’t have the information to which you are referring right now – but in every case, and from my experience from my time at the Greek Embassy in Tirana, I know that the Greek Embassy is notified directly and takes all the necessary actions and is in direct communication with the Albanian authorities in order to confront these phenomena. If there is anything new on this particular instance, I will let you know.
Mr. Gilson: Mr. Spokesman, do you see any link between the recent Turkish military presence near the island of Kastelorizo and the Norwegian vessel, on the one hand, and Turkey’s effort to hinder the Cypriot Republic from exercising its sovereign rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the exclusive economic zone?
And as it relates to that, I would like a comment on the recent threats of the Turkish army concerning unfavourable developments on these issues in the Eastern Mediterranean, etc.
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: Here again, I will refer to the statements that are to be made after the meeting between President Christofias and Prime Minister Karamanlis.
At the same time, I would like to remind you that you there are clear statements on both of these issues in the speeches of the Cypriot President and the President of the Hellenic Republic at yesterday’s luncheon; statements from which one can draw conclusions as to how the Greek side is approaching these actions on the part of Turkey.
What interests Greece is respect for international law and the Convention on the Law of the Sea. It is our firm belief that in each case, the side that respected and moved within the framework of precisely these provisions and respect for international law was Greece in the one instance, and the Republic of Cyprus in the other.
Mr. Caka: Recently, Prime Minister Sali Berisha was interviewed on FYROM television and asked by journalists about two issues. One is the name issue, on which Berisha answered that he is in favour of the resolution of the issue between the two countries. And the other was the issue of the Chams, where Berisha also answered that the Cham issue has not ceased to exist, but in a legal framework.
In fact, recently in Albania there has been great pressure from parties and organizations regarding the Berisha governments cooperation with the Greek authorities on the Cham issue. And, in fact, it is also a matter of Cham cemeteries here in Greece.
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I’ll start with your first question. All statements that strengthen the prospects for resolution of the name issue are positive. I remind you that for some two months now, the other side has persisted in not designating a negotiator in the negotiation process under the UN, while at the same time it has instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice against Greece for alleged violations of the Interim Accord.
Regarding the second issue you raised, you are aware that based on bilateral agreements there are committees discussing various issues of bilateral interest. The extent to which these committees will also discuss legal or property issues will depend on the course of the consultations. But, as you know, for Greece there is no Cham issue.
Mr. Spyropoulos: Last week, an agreement was initialled by Greece and Albania on the creation of two military cemeteries in Albania for the Greeks who fell in the Greek-Italian war of 1940-1941. How will this issue evolve? That is, whether you know when all of this will be done.
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: This positive decision is the culmination of efforts of both sides, and as far as Greece is concerned, efforts coordinated by the Foreign and Defense Ministries. It is a happy outcome of a long effort about which the Foreign Minister has already issued a statement, thanking the Albanian government and the Albanian people for the resolution of a long-outstanding issue, the fundamental nature of which is profoundly humanitarian. It has an intensely humanitarian dimension.
Beyond that, the implementation of the agreement – we’re talking about two cemeteries – is just a matter of time. I express the hope that it will move ahead as soon as possible.
Mr. Caka: I see that recently in the Greek media and such this success has not been commented on much. That is, do you consider this a success of the Foreign Ministry in a diplomatic context?
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: Are you asking me how I account for the degree of interest shown by the Greek news media so far?
Journalist: Yes.
Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I won’t comment, and I can’t comment – as you can see – on the manner in which the Greek news media assess news items. It is up to them how they appraise things within the framework of a democracy.
Beyond that, what should be noted is the earnest announcement made by the Foreign Minister herself on this development. And I, too, have already characterized it as a positive development today.
Thank you.