Athens , 2 February 2010

Mr. Droutsas: With this first, short visit to the U.S. we want to lay the foundations for a new, more substantial relationship with the United States.

We are a new government and this visit is a good opportunity to present our own thoughts and approaches on the major matters that are of concern to our region.

Matters of Greek interest will unquestionably always be at the heart of our efforts. The United States play an important role in the region of Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean and it is vital that they have a clear picture of Greece’s point of view.

But I want to stress that in these contacts, discussion is not merely restricted to issues of immediate interest.

The new government’s goal and commitment is for Greece to regain its rightful place on the international arena; to regain the strong voice it had unfortunately lost over the past few years, both in terms of intensity and in terms of substance. We are rebuilding, under admittedly adverse circumstances, a Greece that will participate actively in all international developments. We have a lot to offer, a lot to contribute. We can and want to play an important role in our immediate neighbourhood, the Balkans and the Middle East. For example, we want to brief our collocutors on the Greek “2014 Agenda” initiative, a new road map aimed at the European integration of the Western Balkans by 2014.

We will seek to put these messages through during our contacts in Washington with State Department officials and Congress members and my meeting with the UN Secretary General in New York, which will be a good opportunity to discuss developments on the Cyprus issue following Mr. Ban Ki-moon's visit to Cyprus. This is a crucial period for Cyprus and for Greek people around the world. Greece stands by President Christofias in his negotiations with the Turkish Cypriot leader. Once again, we are standing by Cyprus not with words, but with deeds. Of course, we will also have the opportunity to discuss in depth with the UN Secretary General the name issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the progress of negotiations under the auspices of the UN.

Here, allow me to strike a more personal note. This visit is my first chance to come into contact and meet with the dynamic Greek community of the U.S. I think that they are our country’s comparative advantage. And we should stand by them and make the most of their potential. This is what we will try to do, with new ideas and new dynamism.

Journalist: How can the Greek community contribute to Greek-U.S. relations?

Mr. Droutsas: It is an honour for me to be a small part of the Greek diaspora. The Greek community is our country’s asset. It is a vital part. Every Greek here is a genuine ambassador for our country. And from the point of view of foreign policy, the Greek community contributes to our effort to defend our national interests, as it has shown so many times in the past.

I look forward to our meetings here and I want to be in constant contact with you. The government and the Foreign Ministry are going to do everything in our power to be able to make this cooperation with, and this contribution of, the Greek diaspora even more effective.

Journalist: What is your comment on the issue of voting rights for Greeks abroad?

Mr. Droutsas: Voting rights for Greeks abroad is clearly our will and a crucial challenge for everyone. This issue is at the top of our government’s priorities. The Interior Ministry is already examining a new legal framework and I think that very soon it will be put under public consultation, an innovative method of democratic participation which the new government has been implementing in Greece. But we must bear in mind that in order to move forward, we need consensus between all of the country’s political forces. I hope that all sides will rise to the occasion and respond to this call by the Greek community abroad.

To us as a government, it is very useful and important that we hear the voice of our compatriots directly; that we hear their experiences and incorporate them in the final draft of the bill to be put forward at the Hellenic Parliament. Within this framework, I would like to call upon every fellow Greek to look at it, study it and express their views as soon as the public consultation is launched. We want to hear your views, your knowledge and your thoughts. Everyone’s contribution will be very important.

Journalist: Do you believe that Prime Minister Papandreou’s visit first to Moscow affects the climate on Greek-U.S. relations, which seem to have cooled following the turn towards the North with regard to energy agreements?

Mr. Droutsas: These are not the criteria with which the Greek Prime Minister’s schedule is being shaped. Don’t go looking for secret symbolism. We have undertaken a crucial mission for the country; to bring Greece back to the fore; to give it the place it deserves on the international arena. There is no shadow in our relations with the U.S. But this does not mean that we are happy with the current level of relations. It is my conviction that there are broader fields for cooperation and room for substantial progress in our relations. Unfortunately, we lost time over the past five years in this area too.

But I want to stress that there is no shadow in Greece’s relations with any country. We have our own interests and our own positions; clear positions based on respect for international law. One need not agree on everything with one’s collocutors in order to build substantial cooperation. That is precisely what we want to do with the U.S.

With regard to the Prime Minister’s schedule, be sure of one thing: both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Ministry will do everything in their power to succeed. Weeks of very intensive work lie ahead of us. That is what the Greek people requested from us and this is why they honoured us with their trust.

Journalist: Are the FYROM name issue and Greek-Turkish issues a thorn in Greece’s relations with the United States?

Mr. Droutsas: We have a tradition of friendship and cooperation with the U.S. Our common values are the strong foundation for building excellent relations of cooperation. And I think the most important element is the common willingness at the moment to further promote them. So any exchange of views can also be fertile ground for our relations.

With regard to the name issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the previous U.S. administration’s choice to opt for a recognition of the so-called constitutional name of our neighbouring country certainly complicated things and distanced us from reaching a solution, and we have pointed this out to the U.S. directly. The position of Greece is clear: We are seeking an erga omnes name with a geographical qualifier. We think that the United States can play a constructive role in this effort and that is why it is important for the U.S. to have a clear view of Greek positions. It is clear and it has been pointed out with unanimous NATO and EU decisions that the solution of the name issue is a precondition for our neighbouring country’s progress on its Euroatlantic course.

With regard to our relations with Turkey, the message we’ve already sent to the Turkish government and, first of all, to the Turkish people is that we want friendly, peaceful relations to build a common future of development and cooperation within the framework of the European family. This is the basic message of the letter that the Greek Prime Minister sent to his Turkish counterpart last week. This was the spirit in my recent meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister. At the same time we are making it clear that the precondition for that Turkey fully respects international law, good neighbourly relations, Greece’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights. And of course, Turkey will have to recognize the Republic of Cyprus and contribute substantially to the progress of negotiations on the resolution of the Cyprus issue. These are self-evident preconditions to us.

Journalist: Can Greece regain the strong role it had in the Mediterranean as a close ally of the United States, a role that Turkey seems to have now?

Mr. Droutsas: Our objective is to exercise a proactive foreign policy; a smart and bold foreign policy of initiatives and innovative ideas. Our objective is for Greece to regain its presence and diplomatic capital in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea region, given that we are soon going to take up the BSEC Chairmanship; for Greece to become a pole of diplomatic action.

There are major opportunities and challenges. And the answers that we will give in the coming years will define not only our own course, but also the course of the entire region.

And since you mentioned Turkey, I want to stress that we do not approach our relations with any country in a competitive spirit. We are a European country, we have been a member of the EU and NATO for many years, we have clear positions and goals, a vision for peace and stability in our region. Greece doesn’t determine itself in relation to other countries that have their own special characteristics, their own pending matters and their own major challenges to face.

As regards Turkey in particular, I could reverse the question and present a perspective of common initiatives in the Middle East, where every country has its own comparative advantages to offer. I would like to remind you of the example of the Papandreou-Cem 2002 tour of Israel and the Palestinian territories, at a period when Arafat was islolated in Ramallah and contacts with Israel had completely frozen. I am already preparing a tour of countries in the Middle East, with which Greece always had special relations.