JOURNALIST: You have a great deal of experience at the Greek Foreign Ministry in the Diplomatic Service in general. What is you assessment so far of the first Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council, and how important do you think this Presidency is?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I visited Cyprus on the day it assumed its Presidency. It was my first visit abroad as Foreign Minister. And I am proud to have shared that symbolic day with the Cypriot people. Cyprus assumed the Presidency in a very difficult state of affairs for the European Union, in the midst of a very harsh economic and political crisis, and with a very difficult agenda. Thanks to good preparation and the abilities of its diplomatic service, I am sure that, with respect for its institutional role, it will carry out its mission successfully, managing a compromise between divergent positions and pointing up what unifies us in the European family. And its success will show the whole world Turkey’s strategic error in rebuffing the top European institution and allowing another opportunity for progress on the Cyprus issue – as well as progress in its relations with the European Union – to go unexploited.
JOURNALIST: On 6 and 7 September you will be in Paphos for the informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers. Which critical foreign policy issues do you think the European Foreign Ministers should focus on?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: We will have the opportunity for an open discussion amongst the 27. Naturally, we will brief our colleagues on our visit to Egypt and our meetings with President Morsy and the leadership of the Arab League. Beyond the domestic problems the Union is facing, we mustn’t forget that sweeping changes are taking place in our immediate neighbourhood: the Southern and Easter Mediterranean.
The European Union needs to be present in these developments, realizing that contribution doesn’t mean assistance, but investment in its own stability and growth as well. The EU is not here to impose models, but to stand by the Arab peoples as they make their way towards democracy. The constants of the past are being overturned, creating hope, opportunity and major challenges.
The situation in Syria is unacceptable and endangers the country’s present and future, along with the stability of the wider region. The international community – and the EU in particular – needs to support every effort toward the peaceful resolution of this bloody crisis, with respect for the sovereign will of the Syrian people. The solution must be found by the Syrians themselves, who have already paid a heavy price in blood in their struggle for democracy and freedom. We will also discuss the importance of education and water in shaping the new international environment, which, in parallel with growth, requires a political approach for better understanding amongst peoples.
JOURNALIST: Do you think that the response to the European debt crisis will be made in political terms in the end? And have the political moves on the supranational and interstate levels perhaps extended the crisis?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: The economic crisis has evolved into a political crisis; a crisis of identity and orientation. It is first and foremost a crisis of confidence. Not just the confidence of the markets in the European economies, but also a crisis of confidence amongst the partners. Unfortunately, delayed reflexes and lack of vision allowed extremist voices in Europe to impose their populist agenda. This is the biggest danger today, and it threatens the foundations of the European architecture. I have no doubt that the response to the crisis will be accompanied by a new vision for the future of our European family; a future within which a stronger and more closely knit Union will be born.
JOURNALIST: You recently visited Germany for meetings with your German counterpart, who ruled out a revision of the reform timeframe. What margins for negotiation does this leave Greece with?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Greece is fighting and will win. We will win in cooperation with our partners, who will believe in our determination to remain at the hard core of Europe. The Greek people have suffered great sacrifices, and these sacrifices must not go for nothing. We need to give hope back to the people. The government is working tirelessly so that our country can regain the credibility it lost in previous years. And we will succeed, in spite of all those who are doing everything in their power to undermine our efforts and return us to the drachma.
International concerns about the consequences of our leaving the euro and the unquestionable determination of the Greek Prime Minister to rehabilitate the country’s credibility through drastic reforms are working to alter Greece’s image and, by extension, our partners’ stance. The implementation of the fourfold changes – modernization of the state, liberation and opening of the markets, privatizations, and a new tax system – are not just our country’s commitment to its partners, but also, and above all, a necessary prerequisite for Greece’s adaptation to the demands of competitive participation in the global economy, with less financial dependence and a stronger position in international activities and international trade.
JOURNALIST: How are Cypriot-Greek relations taking shape on the new economic-political state of affairs?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Greek-Cypriot relations are brotherly relations. They are one of the fundamental and durable constants on the geopolitical map of our region. There is no question that we are going through one of the most difficult times in our modern history. But the crisis cannot affect our ties. I am certain that we will be successful in confronting this difficulty. And what’s more, we will learn from the mistakes of the past and will never again allow Hellenism to find itself in this position.
JOURNALIST: Cypriot-Greek-Israeli relations. How do you see the prospects and dynamic of this cooperation, particularly in the energy sector?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: It is a dynamic relationship with very positive prospects. Not just in the energy sector. We have complementary interests in many sectors, and this gives us the opportunity to gain major benefits for our peoples. What is of critical importance is that we get past the declarations and realistically give content to this relationship. After all, our cooperation is not based on exclusion, but is open to the participation of other countries in the region – countries with which Greece and Cyprus maintain traditional ties of friendship. That is why I believe that the strengthening of our relations can have a beneficial impact on issues in our region.
JOURNALIST: Are there any plans to delimit and exploit the Greek EEZ in the immediate future?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: One of the main goals of our foreign policy is the delimitation of all sea zones with all our neighbours. And of course the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf are a priority and longstanding position of our foreign policy. And this is also part of the policy platform agreement of the three parties that make up the government. We need to be methodical, with good planning and constant coordination. The procedures for energy exploration in the Ionian and south of Crete are already moving ahead very fast, and the same holds true for the confirmed deposits on Greece’s mainland. We will leave no opportunity unexploited.
JOURNALIST: The talks on the Cyprus issue have stagnated. What is Greece’s position, and what message do you want to send to Cypriot citizens?
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I want to express my respect and admiration for the achievements of our Cypriot brothers and sisters, who succeeded, following a national catastrophe, in rebuilding their country and making it stronger and a formidable figure on the international stage, as Cyprus’s current EU Presidency shows. Unfortunately, the goal of reunification of the island continues to be unrealized, and right now – due to the Turkish side – the process is frozen. But we mustn’t give up. We need to continue and point up the responsibilities of the other side for the invasion, continuing occupation, settlements and lack of progress. We need to continue to exert pressure for the achievement of a just solution, within the framework of the UN resolutions and the European acquis. Let’s not forget that the struggle is now being carried out against the backdrop of the Republic of Cyprus’s membership in the European Union – a strategic achievement for all of Hellenism.
September 6, 2012