Athens , 25 November 2009

Mr. Droutsas: It’s good to see you again.

I would like to say a few words about my visit to Brussels today, to NATO.

The main subject of this visit was of course for the OSCE Chairmanship to brief NATO. As you know, Greece currently holds the Chairmanship of the OSCE, and ahead of the OSCE Ministerial on 1 and 2 December, there was a meeting today with NATO, with the Alliance, for a briefing on what the Greek Chairmanship plans to discuss and do at the Ministerial in Athens.

Let me remind you that the OSCE Ministerial is the largest event Athens will have hosted since the 2004 Olympics. We are expecting over 50 Foreign Ministers, 1,200 people from the OSCE participating states and hundreds of journalist from foreign news media.

It is a very important event for Athens and Greece. I would like to remind you of the issues we will be discussing.

The main issue is security in Europe. I think this is the most important effort and the most important dialogue that has been carried out in recent years on the very important issue of European security, and I would like to remind you of what Greece has already accomplished as the OSCE CiO.

I am referring in particular to the “Corfu Process”, which was inaugurated at the informal OSCE Ministerial in Corfu this past summer. I think that the comments on and reactions to the Corfu Process that we have heard so far are very positive. And today’s discussion at NATO indicated a very positive response to the Corfu Process and the efforts and work of the Greek Chairmanship so far. At the December Ministerial, we want to lay truly strong foundations for the continuation of a structured dialogue on European security.

So that there can be a proper continuation of the Corfu Process. I think that Greece has been linked to this achievement, to this very important discussion on European security, and I think that Greece’s voice – even after the end of our Chairmanship at the end of this year, when we will have carried out our official obligations – will continue to be heard very loudly on this issue as the Corfu Process goes on.

On the occasion of my presence here at NATO, I also had the opportunity for a meeting with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen. I think it was a good opportunity to pass on to the Secretary General the thoughts of the new Greek government regarding our foreign policy, and to brief Mr. Rasmussen on the priorities the Greek government is setting in this area.

Very briefly, let me mention that we discussed the developments in the Balkans. As we know, the Balkans – our immediate neighbourhood – are a top priority for the government; for Greece. I also had the opportunity to present to, and discuss with, the Secretary General Greece’s “Agenda 2014” proposal; that is, the clear perspective Greece wants to give the countries of the Western Balkans with regard to the European accession course. Here, I had the opportunity to stress that – for Greece – the immediate future of the region lies in Europe, the united Europe, in the EU, and that Greece can and must and will play a leading role in promoting this policy.

I also had the opportunity to discuss with Mr. Rasmussen the conclusions I have drawn from my recent tour of the countries of the Western Balkans, and to exchange some views. And Mr. Rasmussen informed me that he will also be visiting some Western Balkan countries in the coming days.

Another issue I had the opportunity to raise regarding the Balkans is of course the FYROM name issue. Once again, it was stressed in our discussions that the Alliance’s stance, NATO’s stance, is the well known stance supported by the Alliance during the recent Summit Meeting in Bucharest.

Turkey was the next issue that I had the chance to discuss with Mr. Rasmussen, and I had the opportunity to set out our thoughts and the initiatives already taken by the Greek government in this area. In particular, the recent meeting between Greek Prime Minister Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart, Mr. Erdogan. We also had the opportunity to mention the issue of the talks, the negotiations, being carried out right now in Cyprus on the resolution of the Cyprus issue. Here, once again, I was able to stress Greece’s clear position: Our support for a solution within the framework of the UN resolutions, with full respect for the treaties, the principles and the values of the European Union, and of course with full respect for the European acquis. I stressed once again that the solution must be what we term European; that is, it must fully respect the European acquis. But it must also be a Cypriot solution, meaning of course that it has to let the Greece Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots talk and negotiate freely regarding their common future as a member state of the EU, without artificial timeframes, without pressure or even the threats that are being heard from some sides that this is the last chance for a solution to the Cyprus issue.

With regard to Turkey – our relations with Turkey – I of course expressed to the Secretary General our concern at the Turkish conduct in the Aegean, which, as I stressed, unavoidably impacts the functioning of NATO. The violations by the Turkish air force are incompatible with the relations of two NATO allies and, tomorrow, potentially, partners in the EU. And I had the opportunity to brief Mr. Rasmussen in depth on the problems and dangers this situation involves, and I explained to him that for us it is not possible for the Alliance to look on passively. Because I think in this way it sends the wrong messages.

Finally, another issue that we raised and discussed was EU-NATO relations, and on this I once again had the opportunity to remind Mr. Rasmussen of the proposals put forward recently by Greece on this issue; practical solutions proposed by Greece for improving EU-NATO relations, or rather better implementation of the regulations that have been agreed upon.

That’s all I have. Do you have any questions?

Journalist: Regarding the concern you expressed to the Secretary General regarding Turkish provocations. What was his reply?

Mr. Droutsas: I think that for us, first of all and in such an initial discussion, the most important thing is for us to pass on our thinking and set out in detail our positions and our approach and the priorities – as I said – of our foreign policy. Of course, we expect the NATO side to respond to these sensitivities that we expressed within this framework, and I would like to believe that we will get the necessary positive response.

Journalist: Do we have any developments on the Prime Minister’s meeting with Mr. Gruevski in Prespes and the name issue? And is there anything new on the reply to Mr. Erdogan’s letter?

Mr. Droutsas: Two favorite subjects, I see. I will just reiterate – a day after the discussion we had in the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, that the letter from the Prime Minister to Mr. Erdogan is being prepared and it will soon be delivered to the Turkish side.

Regarding the meeting in Prespes, I will repeat once again that this is an initiative from the Greek Prime Minister to follow up on an initiative that was launched by Greece 10 years ago for environmental cooperation in the Prespes area between three countries: Greece, Albania and FYROM. As you know, environmental issues are at the focus of the new government’s policy and at the focus of the Prime Minister’s thinking ahead of the Copenhagen conference on climate change. This initiative has its significance. I will repeat once again what I stressed yesterday to the Parliamentary Committee: that it is obvious that in a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Greece and FYROM that there will also be – if raised – a discussion on the name issue. But just to avoid even the slightest possibility of misinterpretation, allow me once again to stress that the only process for the resolution of the issue and the negotiations on the FYROM name issue is the UN framework. We do not think that meetings between two countries – even on the level of two Prime Ministers – do any damage. In fact, they might even help towards resolution in the process within the framework of the UN. I would like to hope that the Greek Prime Minister’s initiative will contribute towards a response from the Skopje side – the political leadership in Skopje – in a constructive spirit in the discussion, in the process, in the search for a solution to the FYROM name issue.

Journalist: Are you expecting some tangible result from this meeting?

Mr. Droutsas: As I said, I think such meetings can only help the whole process, and the place for the negotiations is the UN.

Thank you very much.