Athens , 16 March 2010

Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas will brief the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs and the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs at 13:00 on Wednesday, 17 March 2010. The joint session of the two committees will look at institutional reforms being carried out following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, including the setting up of the European External Action Service (EEAS). The session will be held at the Senate Hall.

Athens , 15 March 2010

Ms. Stai: Let’s look at what is happening in international politics in general, apart from the plans for our European bailout, which are being discussed today in Brussels. We have Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas on the line. Good afternoon, Mr. Droutsas.

Mr. Droutsas: Good afternoon, Ms. Stai. And good afternoon to your listeners.

Ms. Stai: Let’s not start our discussion with the European Union and what will be discussed at today’s ECOFIN. Let’s start with the Skopje issue. You gave an interview to a Skopje TV channel, and you talked about the name issue. You referred to the issue, stating that the desired solution is a name with a geographical qualifier, for use in relation to everyone; erga omnes. That is, you referred to a geographical qualifier, “Northern Macedonia”, “Upper Macedonia” – something like that. Is there any indication that we will reach this point? Because Mr. Nimetz is fully active on this issue again at the moment.

Mr. Droutsas: What I said is what we have dubbed the national red line: a name with a geographical qualifier, for use in relation to everyone. That is the well-known Greek position, which I dare say has been understood by all, and I think they are showing more and more of a liking for this position.

And we had the opportunity to discuss this during Mr. Nimetz’s recent visit to Athens, which, I stress, was carried out on our initiative. As we have said from the very moment we took office, we want to make a serious effort to resolve these issues.

Ms. Stai: So we should expect that the proposal Mr. Nimetz brings will include a name with a geographical qualifier, for use in relation to everyone? There won’t be a double name? That will be one proposal?

Mr. Droutsas: I can’t pre-empt any proposal that Mr. Nimetz might make, and we are still far from making any proposal. But the Greek position is well known and clear. And as I said, I think that more and more sympathy is being shown for this position.

Ms. Stai: I assume that sympathy means agreement, and not just a liking for these positions.

Mr. Droutsas: I think we have been persuasive with our policy and our arguments.

Ms. Stai: So I will ask you the question, because I think that on the same day you gave the interview to the Skopje TV channel, Enlargement Commissioner Fule gave an interview to the same channel, if I am not mistaken.

Mr. Droutsas: Precisely. A day earlier.

Ms. Stai: But he used the name “Macedonia”, clearly. This impressed me, because he is the Enlargement Commissioner, and I wonder what our reaction is.

Mr. Droutsas: Our reaction was immediate and straightforward. I myself answered a journalist’s question on this matter, saying in a clear manner that we expect and demand that the EU and its officials comply with what has been agreed upon; what is in force internationally. That is, we demand that the officials of the European Union use the name that is in force for this country.

Ms. Stai: To date, we have become accustomed to our neighbouring country being referred to as “Macedonia” by many parties. It doesn’t surprise us when it happens. But when the EU Enlargement Commissioner does it, one wonders if perhaps he meant to do so. That is why I am asking.

Mr. Droutsas: I don’t want to interpret the Commissioner’s motives. What I want to stress, once again, is that the government immediately expressed its intense displeasure not only at the fact that a name other than that agreed upon was used, but also because of the following: The Greek government is making serious efforts to resolve this issue, and actions like that of Mr. Fule, the Commissioner, certainly don’t help towards our achieving a solution on this issue. It sends the wrong messages to the leadership and the people of Skopje. And we stressed this in the strongest possible manner.

Ms. Stai: I assume that this issue – the Skopje name issue and Skopje’s more general position in the Balkans, the European Union, in NATO, would be an issue that the Prime Minister discussed in the meetings he had in the U.S. with Secretary Clinton and President Obama. Is that the case?

Mr. Droutsas: I think it is obvious that in the context of these talks, there is discussion of issues of particular interest to Greece: developments on the Cyprus issue, Greek-Turkish relations, and of course the issue of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. But I would like to stress here – because there are certain myths in circulation to the effect that pressure was brought to bear on Greece – that Greece’s policy and Greece’s position have now met with great understanding, more than just sympathy, as I said earlier. And that holds true for our discussion with Secretary Clinton as well as that with President Obama.

Ms. Stai: Mr. Droutsas, you are using a word that, diplomatically, I am having trouble interpreting as to its effect. I don’t know how effective the word ‘sympathy’ is.

Mr. Droutsas: The end result will show that.

Ms. Stai: It’s the first time I have heard this word used with regard to this issue.

Mr. Droutsas: Don’t forget that we are in the midst of negotiations at the UN, and this is a dynamic process. And believe me, when one compares the positions being taken by certain countries currently with those taken in the very recent past – specifically, before the current government of our country took office – I think that we have reason to talk of positive progress in these negotiations.

Ms. Stai: Let me ask you something concerning the timeframe. Will we have any developments on the Skopje issue soon?

Mr. Droutsas: This, too, is an open issue. What I can stress, once again, is that the Greek government has said very clearly from the very outset that we want a solution. Our position is clear. We are now waiting for Skopje to come to the negotiating table at the UN in the same constructive manner in which we have approached it. That is what we are waiting for. If there is political will from the Skopje side as well, I think that the solution can be achieved very soon.

Ms. Leivadari: Mr. Droutsas, as the economy has now become an international issue for Greece, we have the critical meetings of the Eurogroup and ECOFIN this evening and tomorrow. You said recently on German radio that we are not asking for financial assistance. What are we asking for, and what, in the end, do we expect from Europe?

Mr. Droutsas: Look, the discussions are still under way. Finance Minister Papakonstantinou is the only one competent to discuss the details after these discussions. But what the Greek government has stressed from the very outset is that we are not asking for direct financial support from our partners or anyone else.

What we need, as Greece, is a clear message in every direction that Greece is taking the right steps; it is a government with credibility. Greece has regained its credibility. This is very important.

And the second very important message in every direction must be – and is – that in facing this crisis, and should the need arise, Greece will not stand alone. And I think we achieved this. Now we will see the details, which, as you said, are being discussed today and tomorrow at the ECOFIN meeting.

Ms. Stai: Mr. Droutsas, as this is a diplomatic and economic game, as well, for players with strong nerves vis-à-vis our being supported by the European Union, the domestic balances of the member states of the European Union, and their more general European and international relations, one wonders whether we will find the result desirable.

That is, are we absolutely certain that in some form, in the end we will get the necessary support to reach the point where we can borrow on terms that are not oppressive for us? Or have we left a door open to the IMF? What do we do? Do we close this door in our minds, or not?

Mr. Droutsas: I think Greece has taken the necessary, very serious measures. Through systematic work and preparation, Greece has regained its credibility, which – and I don’t like to say this, but the truth must be said – it lost in the past. And this is a very serious matter in our relations with the international markets.

Ms. Stai: You’re right – it is good to have recovered the credibility that we have recovered recently, and this reflects, basically, on the Greek Prime Minister himself.

Mr. Droutsas: I think this is the most important thing.

Ms. Stai: But there is also the issue of the results. It will help us to have a way out of the crisis we are going through and that – as you know better that we do – hasn’t really shown its teeth domestically, yet. Because we just took the tough measures, and they will shortly start to manifest themselves.

Mr. Droutsas: We are continuing to strive for a positive result – to work in a serious and systematic manner. And as your previous question concerned the IMF, let me say once again that Greece is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the euro. Our efforts are aimed at our being able to confront the economic crisis and get out of this difficult position on our own steam, within the framework of the Eurozone. But the IMF is always there as a theoretical possibility.

Ms. Leivadari: Theoretical but open, obviously.

Ms. Stai: Your were very clear, Mr. Droutsas.

Mr. Droutsas: If needed, it is always there. But – and we stress this – Greece is in the Eurozone, and through the Eurozone we want to find the necessary solutions.

Ms. Stai: Thank you very much.

Mr. Droutsas: Thank you very much.

Athens , 15 March 2010

Journalist: Officially, in an interview you gave to the Greek public radio/television station ERT, you denied that a specific proposal on negotiations was put forward by the United States at the Papandreou-Obama meeting. However, is the biggest dilemma for Greek public opinion whether the negotiations are focused on the name issue, or are national identity and language, as the [FYROM] government argues, also under negotiation?

Mr. Droutsas: As you know, the mandate of the United Nations and UN Special Envoy Matthew Nimetz provides for an agreement on your country’s definitive name. That’s exactly what we are concentrating on. This is the issue that we should discuss. I don’t think it is useful for the whole process to be burdened with additional matters that are not included in the UN mandate. This doesn’t help the whole process. It pushes back the prospect of achieving an agreement. We want to reach a solution. This is precisely what we are focusing on. The problem is that Macedonia is a geographical region and the largest part of this region is located in Greece; another part, as you know, is located in Bulgaria; and your country is the third part. We think that the agreement that we come to must reflect this reality and help achieve the necessary clarity. This is why we believe that a name with a geographical qualifier is necessary and that this is a very just solution, because it will safeguard your country's name, a name that you can be proud of and through which we will be able to clarify things without leaving any gray areas. This is precisely what we are thinking. The name on which we will agree must definitely be used in relation to everyone, because we need to be realistic and clear. We want to achieve an objective solution and agreement on this issue. This is the only way that we can speak of a true agreement. We do not want the present situation to continue. It does not help either of the two sides. We want to achieve a definitive and true agreement that will clarify things in order for our two countries to be able to concentrate on our common future. This future is within Europe, within the European Union, within the European family. Greece will be a true partner and sincere friend to your country on its course and efforts towards this goal. This is why I am saying to you: let’s sit down and try to find a solution that we can all agree upon in a constructive manner, within the framework of the UN process.

Journalist: What about the issue of the antiquisation policy? What would happen if we withdrew previous decisions on renaming our airport and Corridor X “Alexander the Great”. What kind of actions would Greece take then as a gesture of good will?

Mr. Droutsas: I think that it is obvious. As you see, even Brussels had to invent a new term to describe this particular policy. But this policy is real, and we should be sincere with each other. Such moves have not contributed at all to the whole process or to improving relations between our countries. To be perfectly honest, these moves have upset and offended the Greek people. But we want to concentrate on the positive things. We have a common future within the European Union, and this should become our true goal. This is precisely where we should focus all our efforts. And let me add one more thing, because we really believe in our common future within the European Union. Let me remind you that Greece, the Greek EU Presidency, took a decision within the framework of the EU, and all EU member states agreed on the potential of a European perspective for the Western Balkan countries; what became known as the “Thessaloniki Agenda”. This was a defining moment for the EU and its relations with the Balkans. At that moment, the EU indeed gave a clear perspective for the entire region’s European future, including your country. Now, Greece and the new Greek government under Prime Minister George Papandreou have again put forward an initiative, a new proposal called “Agenda 2014”, reminding everyone – seven years after the launching of this policy – that the Balkans and Western Balkan countries have a clear European perspective. Thanks to this initiative on the part of Greece, everyone in the EU is now seriously discussing the Balkans and their European perspective again. This is indeed very important. I will use this opportunity to explain the idea behind the “2014 Agenda”. It is important to the EU and to your country that your people understand what Greece is thinking about with this proposal. This Agenda is nothing more than a renewed appeal to the model of peace, to good neighbourly relations with all the countries of the Western Balkans. There is symbolism in 2014 – 100 years after the outbreak of World War I. And the roots of all of the problems we are facing today in our region can be traced back to this date. One hundred years on, we are saying that we should put an end to this cycle of violence in the Balkans, and the EU has a major role to play by agreeing to see the Western Balkan countries as candidates for accession. I am saying all this so that everyone can understand that when Greece speaks about the European perspective of the Balkan countries and your country’s European perspective, it is a sincere statement and an honest approach; Greece does not have a hidden agenda, and when we are talking about Europe and the Western Balkans – Europe and your country – we believe in it a great deal.

Journalist: Greece’s rhetoric with regard to our accession to the EU and NATO is well known, as is your desire and support for our being made a member of the institutions of this family. Why have you never proven and shown good will and good neighbourly relations by not raising obstacles in such a way; by giving the green light for us to join EU and NATO under the provisional name?

Mr. Droutsas: Allow me to stress once again that we are concentrating and focusing on a real, definitive solution and the reaching of an agreement on this issue that exists between the two countries. Let me also stress that NATO and the EU, as organizations, took these decisions unanimously. This is a decision of all of the member states of these particular Organizations. NATO and the EU also function based on the principle of solidarity. This is also a very important term for the EU. These Organizations said that they want to welcome your country as a member, but that first the name issue between our two countries must be resolved. That is why we want to focus on that. I will also say something else with regard to the EU. Everyone is talking about setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations with your country. Believe me, that is not the hard part. As soon as we resolve the name issue, everything will move ahead quickly. What is really difficult is the accession negotiations themselves. You will have to negotiate, just like every other candidate country in the past. There are 31 chapters. These are very difficult negotiations, and during them, your country will need real friends and partners on whom to depend. I can say in all sincerity that as soon as we reach an agreement on the name issue, and as soon as the accession negotiations begin, Greece can and will be a real friend and partner during those negotiations.

Journalist: In 2001, during the clashes, Mr. Samaras said that he believed there was no need for negotiations on the name issue, because if we waited – he said – there wouldn’t be another side to negotiate with. One might conclude from the delays of almost two decades on the resolution of the name issue, that you want to destabilize the country.

Mr. Droutsas: I think that anyone who sees things clearly will draw the conclusion and will understand that the exact opposite is the case. The stability of your country is a priority for Greece and our foreign policy. I think that on a political and economic level, Greece has shown full support for your country. I will just mention that on the economic level we are proud to be the top investor in your country; that Greek enterprises are playing a contributing role and providing thousands of jobs in your country – and all this during a period of economic difficulty with international dimensions. These other things are important, and public opinion in your country needs to be aware of this. Perhaps another interesting point in the history of the relations between our two countries is that we were interested in the kinds of contacts we had from 1999 to 2004, when George Papandreou was the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs. And you might be surprised at the fact that during that period, the largest number of meetings were those that took place with officials from Skopje. I think this is indicative of how important Greece sees our relations as being.

Journalist: You said that we have excellent economic relations and that you are the top investor. When will Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Papandreou visit Skopje and have meetings with their counterparts? Are you waiting for some other government to be elected before you have meetings with the country’s officials?

Mr. Droutsas: I think that recent events provide the necessary and real answers. Immediately after being elected and taking office in Greece, one of the first things George Papandreou did was to contact President Gruevski and invite him to meet, saying that they had not met personally, and that they needed to meet one another to see how they thought, how they approached things.

We believe strongly in the need for and value of direct contacts. These can have only a positive impact on the negotiation process under way within the framework of the United Nations. We want to continue these efforts. There was another meeting between Papandreou and Gruevski, while I had additional meetings with your country’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Milososki. We last met briefly at an informal EU meeting in Spain, a few days ago. We see these meetings as being useful, and we think they need to continue. But they have to be carried out in the proper manner. That is, they cannot be just PR meetings. We have to prepare for these meeting in a manner that will lend them substance. I think that if Prime Minister Gruevski thinks about it, he has a unique opportunity to lead the  country into the European family. I believe that he will take the necessary and correct decisions, taking advantage of this opportunity for his country.

Athens , 15 March 2010

Today, a meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry between Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and the Heads of Greek Missions in Balkan countries. The meeting was participated in by the Greek Ambassadors to Serbia, Bulgaria and Albania, the Heads of Greece’s Liaison Offices in Skopje and Pristina, as well as Ministry officials.

Topics discussed at the meeting were developments on the domestic scene and the economic situation in the areas under the Ambassadors’ competency, as well as issues of bilateral cooperation. Proposals were put forward with a view to strengthening Greece’s role and presence in the region and promoting our regional policy. The main axis of this policy is the Western Balkans’ European perspective and the basic tool is the “2014 Agenda”, which has already relaunched the discussion on this matter within the European Union.

During their stay in Athens, the Greek Ambassadors will have other meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministries. Such meetings are regularly held in Athens or in other countries of our region.

On Tuesday, 16 March, at 12:00, Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis will meet at the Foreign Ministry with the Head of the UNHCR Office in Greece, Mr. Giorgos Tsarbopoulos.

At 13:00, Mr. Kouvelis will meet with the President of the Technical Chamber of Greece, Mr. Yannis Alavanos.