Journalist: Let’s welcome Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, who is in Rome for the meeting of the Contact Group on Libya. Good morning, Mr. Minister.
Mr. Droutsas: Good morning, Mr. Hatzinikolaou. Good morning from Rome.
Journalist: I want to ask what the talks you are having are about, what is coming out of them, whether you see light at the end of the tunnel: a chance for the Libyan people to see peaceful days soon.
Mr. Droutsas: Hopefully, Mr. Hatzinikolaou. Hopefully we will be able to see an end to the violence; to see peace, stability in our region, not just in Libya – though there in particular – but also in Syria. Here in Rome, at the meeting of the Contact Group on Libya, I hope there will be a substantial and responsible discussion of efforts to find a political solution to the crisis. I remind you – because it is important for Greek citizens to know this – that Greece has said from the very outset that we respect the UN resolutions on Libya and of course need to do our part to implement them, but at the same time we stressed the need, the absolute need, for a political solution to this problem. We cannot have a solution through military means alone. That is our message here in Rome, and I hope that we can agree with our partners and allies that we need to coordinate in a substantial and responsible manner the efforts to achieve a political solution.
Journalist: Mr. Foreign Minister, I want to ask you about the Exclusive Economic Zone. What you said a few days ago drew a strong reaction from the opposition. You said that Greece does not intend to delimit an EEZ with Turkey before the conclusion of the exploratory contacts with Ankara, and in fact you criticized those who are trying to make the EEZ a hot topic in domestic politics. So, I want to ask you whether, for example, Cyprus has the wrong policy on the EEZ issue.
Mr. Droutsas: Mr. Hatzinikolaou, Cyprus has of course not been wrong on all these issues, and the Greek side is in full coordination and communication with the Republic of Cyprus on these issues.
And in all sincerity, Mr. Hatzinikolaou, I was not at all surprised at the reaction from the main opposition party, because it is an issue that it is using to create a negative political climate and further exacerbate the political climate in Greece.
Before we were connected, I had the opportunity to hear some of your comments, where you talked about conspiracy theories, and I too would like to say that these scenarios have to stop at long last. You are absolutely right.
That is precisely the thinking and spirit behind my statements. Because on foreign policy issues in particular, on our national issues, we have to show seriousness and responsibility. As for the EEZ …
Journalist: Just a minute. Today’s Eleftherotypia – which is not a New Democracy paper; it is considered a center-left paper – has the front-page headline “Athens buries the EEZ so as not to upset Turkey”.
Mr. Droutsas: If you read beyond the headline – and you did very well to mention this, and I thank you, Mr. Hatzinikolaou – if you read beyond the headline, if you look at the article – as in most of today’s papers – you will see that it sets the issue out in an objective and correct manner. Unfortunately, in Greece – as well as elsewhere – the headline has to be a little more sensational that the actual article.
Let me get to the crux of the matter, very briefly, because it is a good opportunity for our listeners to hear what’s going on with the EEZ discussion.
I answered to two main arguments that are being used in the political debate, and as I said, there are those who have made the EEZ and ‘in’ issue. I answered to the first argument and said that we don’t need to delimit the EEZ to be able to exploit our mineral wealth. This is provided for by the continental shelf.
The second argument used by some is that the EEZ will render larger the maritime region Greece has the right to exploit, and this is not the case, because particularly in a sea like the Mediterranean, the breadth of the continental shelf is the same as that of the EEZ.
So, these arguments are specious, and the political argument, if I may refer to this as well, because – as I said – the EEZ issue suddenly came into fashion. Mr. Hatzinikolaou, New Democracy …
Journalist: What do you mean? Why do you say that, Mr. Minister? Excuse me, but …
Mr. Droutsas: I’ll tell you.
Journalist: … all countries …
Mr. Droutsas: I’ll tell you.
Journalist: All the countries are rushing to determine their EEZs right now. Why are we always in what Eleftherotypia aptly described as “call-back-later” mode.
Mr. Droutsas: I’ll tell you, Mr. Hatzinikolaou. I clarified this yesterday and said it very clearly. It is not true that Greece is not moving ahead towards delimitation of its maritime zones.
We said that there is a comprehensive plan on this issue. We have already signed an agreement with Albania on the delimitation of all the maritime zones, its just that there is, as you know, the hitch that we are working on in Albania.
For some time now, we have begun with Libya to negotiate on the delimitation of maritime zones. You can understand that the developments in Libya do not allow us to move ahead on this issue right now. The same holds true for Egypt. And with regard to Turkey I said that for a number of years now we have been in the process of the exploratory contacts.
The objective of the exploratory contacts, as you know, is the delimitation of the continental shelf. I have stated clearly – and I am always in favour of straight talk, of telling it like it is – that what we are trying to do is delimit the continental shelf with Turkey.
We are on a path right now. We hope that the exploratory contacts produce results, and we said that since – for the reasons I set out earlier – the EEZ doesn’t in essence give us anything more, I don’t see how it would benefit us to burden the exploratory contacts, which were initiated to delimit the continental shelf, by bringing new terms to them. That’s what I said, and that’s the truth, and I think it’s very reasonable.
Now, it is clear to me that there are those who are using the EEZ issue for political reasons: to create a political climate. For this reason: New Democracy has been highlighting this issue for some months now. I ask myself: If the EEZ issue is so important, why didn’t the New Democracy government that was in power for five and a half years take this step immediately? And why didn’t those who are commenting on this issue now comment on it back then?
So, I conclude that the EEZ issue is being used right now for political reasons: to create a negative climate.
Journalist: Thank you, Mr. Minister. Good day.
Mr. Droutsas: Thank you, Mr. Hatzinikolaou. Goodbye.
May 5, 2011