JOURNALIST: Is your government close to reaching an agreement with private bond holders and can you explain what are the major obstacles that are stopping it?
STAVROS DIMAS: Yes we are. During the negotiations, the Greek government had to strike the right balance to ensure that the terms of this agreement would meet the requirements for Greece to achieve its fiscal targets, while ensuring the effective participation of the Private Sector. I believe that the final deal will be an important step for stability and for the return of confidence in the Greek economy.
JOURNALIST: Is Greece capable of avoiding default?
STAVROS DIIMAS: With the help of our European and international partners, Greece has avoided default and with the October 26 EU agreement we have opened the way for successful recovery. The past two years were difficult for everyone as the Euro-zone faced one of its toughest challenges to date. A number of valuable lessons were learnt for the Euro-zone and a substantial reform process is already underway. Of course, on the national level, a number of difficult structural reforms are necessary in both the public sector and the tax collection mechanisms. The Greek government is working tirelessly on this and all other fields to bring the Greek economy back on solid ground.
JOURNALIST: How do you see Chancellor Merkel’s call for a fiscal union in Europe and is this proposal undermining the national sovereignties in the EU?
STAVROS DIMAS: European integration is not about undermining national sovereignties. It is about conferring competences upon the EU institutions on an agreed basis, in order to better safeguard and promote the interests of EU and its member-states. This process should always respect the basic principles of institutional equality, solidarity, social and economic cohesion, and convergence.
JOURNALIST: You are attending SEECP event in Belgrade, how do you assess the current level of cooperation in this region?
STAVROS DIMAS: The SEECP is one of the success stories of regional cooperation in the Balkans. I am confident that the Serbian Presidency will continue the very good work that has been done so far. For Greece, one of our top priorities is to see all the countries of the Western Balkans become full members of the EU.
JOURNALIST: Is Prime Minister Lucas Papademos ready to meet soon with his FYROM counterpart Nikola Gruevski, after last week’s invitation from Skopje and what do you expect from that meeting?
STAVROS DIMAS: Greece has consistently demonstrated its readiness to reach a mutually acceptable solution and we have actively pursued meetings with officials from Skopje. One of the first meetings I had, when I took office, was with Foreign Minister Poposki, while Vice President Arifi was recently in Athens for very constructive talks. Such meetings can be useful, but they cannot be a substitute for negotiations at the UN. Regretfully, only a few days before the last meetings at the UN, Prime Minister Gruevski called the UN process a waste of time. A few days later, a government-sponsored carnival staged the “funeral of Greece” as its main theme, while the Greek flag was burned, without anyone in Skopje condemning this provocative act. We call for a change of attitude that will reverse this negative trend and allow for a climate in our relations conducive to progress in the negotiations.
JOURNALIST: Do you expect Serbia to be granted candidacy status at the EU Summit in March, after the Council meeting in February and how would Greece help Serbia in achieving that goal? Do you believe that Serbia could start the accession negotiations with Brussels this year?
STAVROS DIMAS: Our top priority right now should be to achieve candidate status for Serbia in March. Greece has been a consistent and staunch supporter of Serbia’s accession to the EU and we believe that slowing down Serbia’s path would be a strategic error for the EU. In the run-up to the March European Council, Greece will continue to advocate for this by highlighting, inter alia, the positive developments within Serbia, including its cooperation with ICTY, as well as its regional role and importance.
JOURNALIST: How does Athens think the problem with the regional representation of Kosovo should be solved and what are other major obstacles for Serbia’s candidacy status?
STAVROS DIMAS: Our policy in the region is inspired by our willingness to create a peaceful, stable and prosperous environment for all the people living in the Western Balkans. Therefore, we regard regional cooperation as an essential cornerstone of our Balkan policy. In this context we support the ongoing dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on this issue, for the benefit and the development of the broader region. We believe that only diplomatic solutions can be viable ones and we therefore trust that with dialogue between the two sides a solution will be found.
February 1, 2012