Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
Greek foreign policy has many major challenges to face. Our country’s image has been tarnished. The European economy is struggling to meet the greatest threat in the history of the European endeavour. The course of Europe’s efforts is directly impacting our own struggle to save the country.
In the meantime, developments have not stopped around us. The region of the Middle East and North Africa is exhibiting great instability: hopes, but at the same time serious challenges. In the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, with its conduct and threats against the Republic of Cyprus, is exacerbating the tension. In our northern neighbourhood, we are continuing our effort to revitalize the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
After three years, the International Court of Justice announced its judgement on Skopje’s application against our country, and this was followed immediately by a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers – which looked at, among other things, the enlargement issue – as well as a NATO Ministerial.
This past month was one of intensive diplomatic activities and meetings. Immediately after the formation of the transitional government, we had to launch the effort to mend the country’s image. At the same time, and under difficult conditions, we needed to ensure that any ICJ judgement would not become a means for further delays by the Skopje side, and that they would be reminded of their obligation to negotiate in good faith to find a solution within the UN framework.
The day the ICJ judgement was announced, the UN – through Mr. Nimetz – the U.S., the EU and NATO issued announcements calling for dedication to the negotiating process.
Late on the evening of 5 December, the EU Council of Ministers reaffirmed, in a unanimous decision, that the resolution of the issue of the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia remains of vital importance, keeping open the prospect of opening accession negotiations with Skopje, but on strict conditions.
Two days later, the NATO Council of Foreign Ministers adopted a common position confirming that the Alliance’s open door policy must be exercised in accordance with the unanimous decisions of Bucharest, Strasbourg and Lisbon: that the name issue will have to be resolved before FYROM can join the Alliance. The Alliance sent a positive message to candidate countries, underscoring that it is up to them to capitalize on the opportunity.
In this short time, and, I repeat, under difficult circumstances, Greece achieved its objective goals. The international community put the name issue back into its proper context. The context determined by the Security Council resolutions: the finding of a mutually acceptable solution through negotiations under the UN.
Greece’s positions are crystal clear and firm. We remain devoted to the speedy resolution of the issue: A solution that will allow us to capitalize on the full dynamic of our bilateral relations with FYROM and will contribute to regional cooperation and the region’s European integration.
The resolution of the name issue will not be a back-door resolution. This was made clear by the ICJ judgement. Greece has the necessary political will to achieve a solution, and we hope that the Skopje government will exhibit the same will.
In the coming time, we will continue to work intensively to promote the European integration of the Western Balkans. We are preparing specific initiatives that will be announced soon, so that the EU-Western Balkans Summit to be held during Greece’s 2014 EU Presidency can be a new watershed in the region’s European perspective, like the Thessaloniki meeting in 2003. We want all of our partners in the Western Balkans to be with us in this effort. We are working with Enlargement Commissioner Füle to organize a meeting of Western Balkan Foreign Ministers in Thessaloniki early next year to discuss the promotion of their European perspective.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
Last Monday, at the same Council, the European Union, speaking in a single voice, sent a strong message to Turkey. The Council:
1. expressed intense concern at Turkey’s threatening conduct towards Cyprus.
2. stressed the sovereign rights of the member states, as provided for by the Law of the Sea, as a part of the European acquis, including exploration for and exploitation of their natural resources.
3. expressed disappointment at Turkey’s statements regarding freezing relations with the EU during the Cypriot Presidency.
4. made it clear that Turkey needs to meet the obligations it has undertaken to the “27” with regard to Cyprus.
As you know, my first visit abroad was to Cyprus. I had the opportunity to meet again with President Christofias in Brussels a few days ago.
Unfortunately, by fault of the Turkish side, the necessary progress has not been made in the negotiations. Specifically, Mr. Eroglu, with the positions he expresses, is undermining the prospects of the negotiations.
Greece will continue to support President Christofias’s efforts and to underscore the need for the Turkish side to shift away from its intransigent positions, which are aimed at negating the agreed framework for the talks.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
I met last week with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial. It was a first, useful meeting, and I am certain that others will follow. Greece and Turkey have to talk to each other.
We are pursuing good relations with our neighbours, but relations that will develop within a strict framework of respect for international law and national sovereignty.
We will continue to work for mutually beneficial progress in our bilateral relations. But it needs to be clear to everyone that Greece will not back down on matters of national sovereignty, and that Greece is determined to defend its rights and interests.
At this point I would like to make the reminder that in recent years Greece has consistently pursued the delimitation of all maritime zones with all of its neighbours. Our policy is founded on the conviction that these agreements – beyond the major economic opportunities they create – function as a catalyst for regional peace and security. We will continue these efforts.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is part of the Community acquis. Thus, respect for, the signing of and the ratification of the Convention is a fundamental element of the European perspectives of countries who are candidates for accession to the EU.
As a coastal state and a member of the EU, Greece does not relinquish any legal sovereign right whatsoever. And of course the exclusive economic zone cannot be an exception to this fundamental principle and position of our foreign policy.
At my meeting with the Albanian Foreign Minister, we discussed, among other things, the issue of our pending bilateral delimitation agreement, which our two governments signed in 2008, following negotiations and in accordance with the Law of the Sea. This issue will be among our priorities in our meetings with the new Libyan and Egyptian governments, and we are in ongoing coordination with the Republic of Cyprus. We want progress with Turkey, within the secure framework determined by the Law of the Sea.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
Our southern neighbourhood is at an historic turning point. The revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and elsewhere are changing the political reality in the Arab world. At the EU, NATO and OSCE Ministerials – as well as in the bilateral meetings I had – I participated in extensive talks on the prospects opening up.
Greece’s position derives from our longstanding friendship with and deep understanding of the Arab world:
1. Respect for the sovereignty of region’s peoples.
2. Support for the democratic process, which is neither easy nor automatic.
3. Condemnation of the violent oppression continuing in Syria.
4. Rejection of the emergence of new “guardians”. And the development by Europe of a mutually beneficial partnership with the Middle East and North Africa; a partnership founded on support for reforms and development.
5. The need to reopen negotiations for the resolution of the Palestinian issue.
The relations of trust Greece is maintaining with Israel and the Palestinian Authority are very important within this framework.
6. Underscoring of the UN Security Council’s role as the basic agency for legitimization of the international community’s decisions.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
The subject of Iran’s nuclear program was perhaps the main issue at the General Affairs Council two weeks ago. This is an issue of special interest to Greece, given that the inclusion of imports of Iranian oil in the list of sanctions was considered.
Iran is one of the main suppliers of oil for Greece as well as some other European countries. I think we got a good result. It was decided that we will look at possible further sanctions, but without any reference to oil imports, as it was the Council’s assessment that there needs to be a detailed analysis of the repercussions of such a measure for European economies.
The issue remains on the table, of course, and that is why it is important that the competent Greek agencies prepare well, so that our country is ready to confront whatever developments arise.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
As I said at the outset, this past month has been one of intensive activities and meetings. The results we achieved came after intense diplomatic efforts.
I want to stress the relations of close cooperation with important partners, including Germany, France, Italy, Poland – the current EU Presidency – Russia and the U.S. I had the opportunity to meet with and talk to the Foreign Ministers of all these countries in recent days, and to look with them at how their countries can contribute to the effort to repair Greece’s image; to look at how we can strengthen our economic cooperation, attract investments and tourism, and develop new areas of cooperation.
From my meetings, I ascertained that our partners believe in Greece and the ability of the Greek people to confront the crisis. I saw support for and appreciation of our efforts. The formation of the Lucas Papademos government confirmed internationally our determination to do what is needed to meet these challenges. This government is being called upon to carry out an extremely difficult task in conditions that are unstable due to the crisis gripping Europe. And naturally, during this time Greece needs to have a strong voice on the international stage, because foreign policy does not pause.
No one is superfluous to the effort to re-establish our country’s credibility. The Foreign Ministry will do everything in its power. But everyone needs to realise that our country’s image depends first and foremost on the image we ourselves create. We have to stop over-emphasizing whatever is negative. We need to point up what is positive, and Greece has much that is positive.
Cooperation with the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee is an invaluable tool in this effort, because Greek foreign policy demands the broadest possible understanding amongst us. Together, we must believe in our abilities and, with self-confidence, give our country the position it deserves.
December 15, 2011