Athens
, 5 November 2009
Mr. Delavekouras: Good morning. I’ll start with the programmes of the Alternate and Deputy Foreign Ministers.
Today, 5 November 2009, at 09:45, Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas met at the Foreign Ministry with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. At the meeting, Greece’s investment and faith in the UN and the Secretary General were reaffirmed, and they discussed the issues of climate change, migration, the Cyprus issue, the FYROM name issue, the Olympic Truce, and peacekeeping operations. If you want to, we can talk a little more about this meeting later on.
At 14:15, Mr. Droutsas will participate in Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Papandreou’s meeting with the Turkish Minister of State and chief negotiator with the EU, Mr. Egemen Bagis, who is visiting our country. This meeting will take place at the Prime Minister’s office at Parliament, and at 14:45 a working luncheon will be hosted for Mr. Bagis at the Foreign Ministry (1 Academias, 7th floor).
The Alternate Foreign Minister and Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship, Mr. Droutsas, will then depart for Vienna, where he will hold bilateral meetings and participate in the OSCE event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council.
This afternoon (5 November), Mr. Droutsas will meet with His Eminence Metropolitan Michael of Austria, and on Friday, 6 November, he will meet with Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer, the Speaker of the Austrian Parliament, Dr. Barbara Prammer, Foreign Minister Dr. Michael Spindelegger, and the Secretary General of the OSCE, Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
Mr. Droutsas will also address the OSCE event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The event is being organized jointly by Germany, the Greek Chairmanship of the OSCE, and Austria, and will also be addressed by Austrian Foreign Minister Dr. Michael Spindelegger and former foreign minister of Germany Mr. Hans-Dietrich Genscher.
On the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Droutsas will present the basic positions and priorities of the Greek OSCE Chairmanship at a Special Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, ahead of the OSCE Ministerial set to take place in Athens on 1 and 2 December 2009, and he will also visit the Offices of the Greece’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE.
At 09:00 on Monday, 9 November, Mr. Droutsas will participate in the meeting of EU Ambassadors accredited to Greece, which is being hosted by the Swedish EU Presidency.
On the same day, Mr. Droutsas will accompany Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Papandreou to Berlin for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
On Tuesday, 10 November, Mr. Droutsas will be in Madrid to attend the Informal Dinner for EU Foreign Ministers being hosted by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos within the framework of the preparations for the Spanish EU Presidency during the first half of 2010. The dinner will also be attended by the Foreign Ministers of Italy, Finland, Hungary, Estonia and Lithuania.
At 14:00 on Wednesday, 11 November, Mr. Droutsas will host a working luncheon at the Foreign Ministry for the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Markos Kyprianou.
At 13:00 on Thursday, 12 November, Mr. Droutsas will host a working luncheon at the Foreign Ministry for the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Titov.
Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis will meet at 15:00 today, at the Foreign Ministry, with the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Ambassador William Lacy Swing.
At 13:00 on Wednesday, 11 November, Mr. Kouvelis will attend a working luncheon hosted by the Chairman of the Greek-African Chamber of Commerce and Development, Mr. Sotirios Mousouris, for Ambassadors of African states accredited to Greece. This luncheon will take place at the Kostis Palamas Cultural Center.
Finally, on Thursday, 12 November, Mr. Kouvelis will be in Thessaloniki to open the proceedings of the 3rd Business Forum of the Union of Black Sea and Caspian Confederation of Enterprises (UBCCE).
Regarding the Alternate Foreign Minister’s meeting today with the Secretary General of the UN, I would like to say that it took place in a very warm climate. The Greek side set forth its intention to undertake initiatives on all the major issues facing the international community. This brings us to the subject of climate change, which is dominating discussions within the EU and the UN ahead of the Copenhagen Conference.
Greece stressed the importance of the international community’s taking decisions to confront this major problem, the repercussions of which we are already experiencing and will become more intense in the Mediterranean region.
The UN is backing the contribution of Greece and the Prime Minister of Greece, so that we can help on a community level for there to be joint decisions, and so that we can achieve something in Copenhagen.
With regard to migration, Greece stressed the major challenge that this issue represents for Greece – particularly the issue of illegal migration, the pressure our country is under from migration flows – and pointed to the importance of cooperation with Turkey on confronting this phenomenon. But always with respect for the humanitarian dimension and protection of the people unfortunately being trafficked.
On the Cyprus issue, the Greek side stressed that we have to speak of a Cypriot solution, a solution arising from negotiations between the two communities, without timeframes and pressures, without threats of partitioning, without mediation. The objective is for the negotiations to continue. Greece supports them actively and wants them to produce a solution that will allow Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike to enjoy the benefits of the Countries membership in the European Union.
On the FYROM name issue, Greece reaffirmed its commitment to the process under way within the framework of the UN, under the Secretary General’s representative, Mr. Nimetz, and the Secretary General expressed – as he did in his statements yesterday – the hope that we might reach a solution soon.
Greece want to take on an even more active role in the Olympic Truce. This is an issue that today’s Prime Minister played a leading role with in his capacity as Foreign Minister of Greece, and Greece want to be at the forefront of this issue again.
Finally, on the manner of peacekeeping operations, the Secretary General gave a briefing on the major pressure the UN is under, as there is a constant increase in peacekeeping missions, UN needs that have to be covered in conflict zones, efforts towards peacekeeping and ceasefires. And the Secretary General expressed his appreciation for Greece’s participation in and contribution to these efforts.
I’m ready for your questions.
Mr. Tachtsidis (Hellenic News of America): Regarding the President of the Republic’s visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Under what name did FYROM invite the President of the Republic? That is, the name of what country? What country’s president invited the President of the Republic?
Mr. Delavekouras: I don’t have the letter, so I don’t know. You will have to address your question to the President of the Republic.
Mr. Tachtsidis: Right.
Journalist: And what will our answer be?
Mr. Delavekouras: You will have to ask the President of the Republic about that as well.
Mr. Polatos: Can you brief us on the content of Mr. Erdogan’s letter to Mr. Papandreou?
Mr. Delavekouras: Prime Minister Papandreou undertook and important initiative, deciding a few days after taking office to travel to Istanbul to put across three messages.
To give a message to the Balkan countries regarding how important this region is to Greece and our desire to play a leading role in the process of integration into the European Union.
He gave a message to the Turkish people: that Greece is here and ready to talk to Turkey about the substantial improvement of relations between our two countries, which will contribute to regional stability.
And he sent a message through his visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Greece’s support for this ecumenical institution and its need for support.
Within the framework of the meetings he had there, Mr. Papandreou met with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. In a follow-up to this meeting, the Turkish Prime Minister sent a letter to the Greek Prime Minister; a letter delivered during the Turkish Ambassador’s protocol meeting with the Alternate Foreign Minister this past Monday.
In this letter, the Turkish side essentially expresses its desire for close cooperation in the future with the new Greek government and the desire for the two countries to develop their relations to the benefit of peace and stability in our region.
This is a common practice in diplomatic relations – communication via correspondence. The Greek side will answer this letter in the coming days.
Mr Polatos: Has it already been answered, and you will tell us in a few days? Can you clarify precisely what proposals Mr. Erdogan is making to the Prime Minister?
Mr. Delavekouras: It hasn’t been answered yet. The letter will be answered, I said, in the coming days, and I will make no further reference to the content of the letter.
Mr. Athanasopoulos: Even though you said you won’t refer to it, I will ask you this: How is your saying that you won’t refer to it related to the fact that it is common diplomatic practice? Can you explain that to us? The Turkish press has said that there are specific proposals. How is it that you can say it is common diplomatic practice, and not make the letter public? Thank you.
Mr. Delavekouras: It is common diplomatic practice to communicate via correspondence. That’s what I said. In any case, the thing is that Greece at this time is undertaking initiatives; it wants to step forward and implement a dynamic, proactive diplomacy.
That is what the Prime Minister did in meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister. In a follow-up to that meeting, the Turkish side sent a letter. The Greek side will answer this letter in full.
Ms. Poulidou: Mr. Spokesman, what is the main thing we want to say to Mr. Bagis? And might they discuss Greece’s stance in December? But I’m mainly interested in the first question.
Mr. Delavekouras: The subject of the meeting is Turkey’s European course, which is also Mr. Bagis’s portfolio. As you know, we have a very important date coming up, in December. As I said earlier, Greece is in the initiative, it wants to have the initiative to make moves and for there to be substantial improvement in bilateral relations with Turkey.
Beyond that, we have an important date coming up, when Turkey will be assessed according to its actions. This evaluation will be objective. Within this framework, there will also be contacts with the Turkish side, and it is within this framework that the meeting with Mr. Bagis will take place.
Ms. Poulidou: What will you say about Cyprus?
Mr. Delavekouras: What do you mean “What will we say about Cyprus?”?
Ms. Poulidou: Isn’t Turkey’s European course linked?
Mr. Delavekouras: Of course it is. Turkey will be evaluated on the normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus and the matter of the Additional Protocol. These are key points ahead of the December rendezvous. But Turkey needs to take action on them. Turkey holds the key to clearing its accession course. Right now, it has the opportunity and the time, until December, to respond. But it will have to do so through actions.
Mr. Polatos: In this context, providing Turkey holds the key, as you say – I assume the repercussions so far, the freezing of eight chapters, are sufficient – doesn’t the Greek side think that additional sanctions should be imposed on Turkey, perhaps freezing additional chapters or something else?
Mr. Delavekouras: I don’t see where you drew that conclusion from – I certainly didn’t say it. What I am saying is that Turkey will be evaluated objectively and rigorously in December, on its actions. It will be evaluated based on the obligations it has undertaken to the European Union.
Mr. Polatos: Excuse me, but I don’t see it. How will Turkey be evaluated rigorously when you say that the Prime Minister has already – through his visit to Turkey, the first message he wanted to send is the leading role played by Greece in the process of Turkey’s incorporation into the European Union.
Mr. Delavekouras: That doesn’t mean that criteria will be lowered.
Mr. Polatos: Is this compatible with, is this in line with the objective evaluation?
Mr. Delavekouras: Of course.
Mr. Polatos: When what we really want is for them to get in?
Mr. Delavekouras: Yes. I really don’t think there is anyone who says not to let Turkey in. Greece’s firm policy is that it wants Turkey’s full accession to the European Union.
But under no circumstances whatsoever does this mean a lowering of the bar on the criteria and prerequisites that have been set by the European Union; the obligations Turkey has undertaken to the Community and each member state, and that includes Turkey’s obligation to implement the Additional Protocol and normalize its relations with the Republic of Cyprus.
Mr. Meletis: Since you insist on this – and rightly so – I would like to ask the following: What is the topic in the end? What will the Prime Minister and the Alternate Foreign Minister say to Mr. Bagis given that at a high level, that is Erdogan, Gul, the Speaker of the House, anyone down to the last diplomat in Turkey have been repeating till yesterday that they will not implement the Protocol unless relations with the occupied section of Cyprus are freed up. What will he say exactly?
So these people say something very specific: that they will not implement, if they get nothing in exchange. What is our stance? What will we tell them?
Mr. Delavekouras: Our position is that Turkey will be evaluated in December. Beyond that, issues relating to Turkey's accession course will be discussed at the meeting.
Turkey will have to be evaluated and will be evaluated, if it doesn't implement the protocol; if it doesn’t comply with its obligations. There is no doubt about that. The evaluation – the December date – is real. It is coming up. But we won’t have this discussion today, we will have it in December.
There’s still time for developments until December. We will wait and see.
Mr. Meletis: Could the evaluation also translate into sanctions?
Mr. Delavekouras: Everything is open.
Mr. Meletis: Everything is open means that there might not be any sanctions?
Mr. Delavekouras: Mr. Meletis, we haven’t yet come to December and it is not me who is going to negotiate with you…
Mr. Meletis: It is not a question of negotiations, it is a matter of someone’s evaluation…
Mr. Delavekouras: Yes, when I say everything is open, this means that everything is open.
Mr. Meletis: I'm sorry, "everything is open" means that there might not be any consequences. That’s what I’m saying.
Mr. Delavekouras: It means that Turkey might comply.
Mr. Meletis: No.
Mr. Delavekouras: This is what it means.
Mr. Meletis: If Turkey doesn’t comply and Turkey is evaluated, I am asking a very specific question: Does the evaluation also include consequences?
Mr. Delavekouras: Of course Turkey will be judged in December, on its actions and its stance.
Mr. Meletis: Can the evaluation not mean consequences?
Mr. Delavekouras: But we will not judge Turkey today in the briefing room. We will judge it in December, at the European Council.
Mr. Meletis: I’m not suggesting that we judge it? I’m saying what happens if it is evaluated and hasn’t complied.
Mr. Delavekouras: So I am not going to negotiate with you here on what happens with Turkey in December.
Mr. Meletis: I’m sorry, I’m not hoping for a negotiation with you either.
Mr. Delavekouras: So I think I have already answered that.
Mr. Meletis: No you haven’t, anyway.
Mr. Kapoutsis: Because I am one of those who find it hard to understand, I want to say the following: This rigorous evaluation of Turkey that you talked about, does it include all the words as a consequence, the freezing of accession negotiations?
Mr. Delavekouras: I’m saying everything is open.
Mr. Kapoutsis: So this is also included.
Mr. Delavekouras: Everything is open.
Mr. Kapoutsis: Right.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Let me come back to the letter. According to the Turkish press there is once again a will expressed on the part of Turkey to resolve all issues concerning our bilateral relations. So what are these issues according to Athens? What are the issues that probably exist and are of concern to bilateral relations?
Mr. Delavekouras: The letter sent by the Turkish Prime Minister will be replied to in the coming days.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Right, no I’m referring to... I mean whether the perception has changed, whether anything has changed. What are the issues between us?
Mr. Delavekouras: Look, there are a number of issues on which Greece is looking forward to a change in the Turkish side’s stance. These issues are discussed to a great extent also within the framework of the European Union.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Which issues?
Mr. Delavekouras: Such issues include, for example, the protection of religious freedom; human rights issues; questioning the sovereignty of a member state of the European Union. Such issues include Turkey's stance vis-à-vis the Republic of Cyprus and the ongoing occupation. All these issues will be discussed. In December, Turkey will be evaluated on these issues. Beyond that, with regard to the letter...
Mr. Papathanassiou: No, on the letter and if there is a will, why is it expressed by the other side.
Mr. Delavekouras: With regard to the letter, the letter will be replied to in the coming days.
Mr. Sideris: I would like you to tell us what exactly it is that Greece is negotiating within the framework of the European Union on the deployment of a Frontex force. When will Mr. Papandreou or Mr. Droutsas answer Mr. Hountis’ letter raising the issue before the European Parliament and whether Turkey is questioning the limits of the Athens FIR in the current talks.
Mr. Delavekouras: First of all, Greece does not negotiate with Frontex. Frontex is an instrument of the European Union and, therefore, Greece as well.
Greece wants Turkey to cooperate with Frontex. This cooperation should already exist in order to allow us to address illegal migration, which has us mourning victims, which takes human lives; because of the traffickers who start from the Turkish coast and try to get these people through to Greece and then Europe.
This is a European issue. It is a problem that Europe has to face as a whole. Beyond that, Frontex makes agreements with third states, not with member states.
Within this framework, it has already concluded agreements with many countries. Turkey did not respond to the efforts of Frontex for the conclusion of an agreement. Turkey states today that it will.
Greece wants an agreement to be reached. It wants Turkey to cooperate with Frontex in order to tackle this phenomenon effectively. Beyond that, we will wait to see tangible proof and not just intentions and declarations. We want to see agreements.
Within the same framework, with regard to the issue of cooperation between the EU and Turkey on illegal migration issues, the conclusion of an EU-Turkey readmission agreement is of crucial importance.
These negotiations started and froze because of Turkey two and a half years ago. Today, Turkey is stating that it intends to relaunch these negotiations.
The competent EU Commissioner, Mr. Barrot, is visiting Turkey today. We hope that the results of his visit will be positive and that Turkey, as it has stated, on 4 December, will start negotiations in good faith with the European Union and that we will reach an agreement soon. Because this agreement is necessary in order for us to be able to address this phenomenon.
Beyond that, Turkey has had a bilateral readmission agreement with Greece since 2001, but it is not implementing is as it should. It is implemented inadequately. This will have to change. Turkey has obligations and will have to honour its signature.
Mr. Sideris: That’s not the issue.
Mr. Delavekouras: That is the issue. The issue is illegal immigration. Frontex is illegal migration.
Mr. Sideris: Because it is illegal migration, Turkey has raised the issue of whether Agathonissi is Greek.
Mr. Delavekouras: No. Turkey has been harassing Frontex airborne resources. First of all, this obstructs the operation itself, which – in theory – Turkey says it wants to assist. It hinders the efforts to tackle illegal migration. And it is of course and illegal behaviour for it to harass, even via radio, the aerial resources that are in an area under Greek responsibility. This is why demarches are made to the Turkish side.
Mr. Gogas: I have a question regarding the Erdogan letter. Whether political parties have been briefed and whether the National Council on Foreign Policy will convene regarding developments in Greek-Turkish issues and the policy that the Foreign Minister intends to follow on this.
Mr. Delavekouras: The immediate intentions of the political leadership include convening the Standing Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs, now that its chair has taken office, and also the National Council on Foreign Policy. It is obvious that all the major foreign policy issues will be discussed in these meetings.
I think it is a procedural matter for the dates of these meetings to be set, because there are many obligations at this time.
Mr. Gogas: Have the parties been briefed regarding the content of the Erdogan letter?
Mr. Delavekouras: I don’t know.
Mr. Hidiroglou: You have announced a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Kouvelis and the IOM Director General. Could you give us a bit more information and tell us whether our migration policy will be shaped following consultations with international organizations?
Mr. G. Delavekouras: Look, at the moment Mr. Swing is in Greece for the Forum. The forum is essentially trying to shape best practices, to be adopted afterwards by states regarding the issue of managing migration.
Beyond that, migration policy is an issue that concerns each state separately. In our case, it is an issue under the responsibility of the Interior Ministry.
Mr. Pollatos: Could you tell us when we should expect the next meeting between Mr. Nimetz and the negotiators of Greece and Skopje?
Mr. Delavekouras: Mr. Nimetz has invited the two sides to meet during the week of 16 November. For our part, we will reply when the time comes. There will be certain preparatory moves and we will make an announcement when the meeting is to be held.
Once again, I want to stress the reaffirmation at the meeting with the UN Secretary General of Greece’s support for this process under the United Nations, and under the Secretary General’s Special Envoy in order for us to be able to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Mr. Pollatos: (off microphone)
Mr. Delavekouras: No. He has made a suggestion. We’ll see.
Mr. Meletis: On this occasion, I would like to ask whether the last complete proposal put forward by Mr. Nimetz in July is still the basis for negotiations.
Mr. Delavekouras: I will not go into the details of the matter. It is ...
Mr. Meletis: Today there are negotiations on the Cyprus issue, negotiations on the European course – the Skopje issue. I am asking a separate question. Is it still the basis for negotiations? What am I asking?
Mr. Delavekouras: I’m saying that at the moment there are preparatory actions and moves in view of the meeting between Mr. Nimetz and the negotiators, whenever this takes place. Beyond that, we will announce whatever there is to announce. I have nothing more on the substance of the negotiations.
Mr. Meletis: Because I haven’t quite understood, how are these issues of religious rights or questioning sovereign rights raised in Mr. Erdogan’s letter?
Mr. Delavekouras: I don’t know, I haven’t read the letter.
Mr. Meletis: Oh, is this what you said to Mr. Papathanassiou before?
Mr. Delavekouras: No, Mr. Papathanassiou asked me what issues Greece considers to be points on which progress needs to be made, if I’m not mistaken.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Mr. Erdogan’s letter mentions disputes. On some issues ...
Mr. Delavekouras: From what I have understood from the announcement I read on the Turkish agency, there are proposals on “areas of cooperation”. I didn’t pick up on differences.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Yes, what are these issues?
Mr. Delavekouras: No, I am not going to go into this discussion. I understood the wrong thing, I'm sorry. I understood that you were asking me on which points Greece expects to see an improvement on the part of Turkey. Then this is a misunderstanding. I am not going to go into the content of Mr. Erdogan’s letter.
Journalist: You haven't read it.
Mr. Delavekouras: Yes, that’s what I’m saying.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Irrespective of the letter, what does Athens consider issues under negotiation with Ankara?
Mr. Delavekouras: They are not under negotiation. This is not what he asked me. We are not negotiating with Turkey.
Mr. Papathanassiou: Then, what Athens is saying today, irrespective of the letter, regarding which issues it thinks should be resolved as a priority and are issues...
Mr. Delavekouras: I gave certain issues on which Greece thinks that Turkey should change its stance. That is as far as I went. There is no negotiation or anything else.
Mr. Athanassopoulos: I have a practical question to ask. How many pages is the letter? Do you know? To see whether it includes several proposals or just a few.
Mr. Delavekouras: I think that it is about two pages.
Mr. Athanassopoulos: Right. So it must include certain proposals. So if I understood correctly from Mr. Papathanassiou’s question, it arises from reports in the Turkish press that there is a request for talks on all matters, on every issue that Turkey has raised, etc. Can we safely assume that these are all the issues that they have been raising from time to time? Thank you.
Mr. Delavekouras: I am not going to make any assumptions. Nor am I going to comment on Turkish press reports. That is not my role.
Mr. Meletis: Because I saw the first reactions, Mr. Erdogan’s constructive willingness to discuss all the issues was considered positive, I guess, and correct me if I’m wrong, that the letter does not include the contentious issues that the Turkish side has been consistently raising in order for this move to be considered a positive move.
Mr. Delavekouras: The willingness expressed by Turkey to talk to Greece in order to improve bilateral relations is something we want in order for these relations to move forward; in order for us to be able to bolster stability and security in our region.
Beyond that, I'm telling you once again that I will not go into the content of this letter. You asked me to confirm or deny that there is something in this letter. I’m telling you again that I have not read the letter, so I cannot say anything on its content.
Mr. Meletis: That is the logical conclusion. If they are characterizing this as a positive move, it obviously doesn’t include a single contentious issue.
Mr. Delavekouras: I don’t know what you think is obvious. What I’m saying is that what I consider positive is Turkey’s declared intention to talk to Greece; to improve its relations in response to Greece’s initiative to take a step forward, to the Greek Prime Minister’s initiative to have a meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister, and raise the issues that are of concern to us in order for the two countries' relations to be able to progress ...
Mr. Delavekouras: Are there any other questions?
Thank you very much.