Interview: Foreign Minister Droutsas in the Austrian daily DER STANDARD (21 February 2011)

Journalist: Greece has experience in transitioning from an autocratic to a democratic system. What’s the best way for us to help the Arab states?

Mr. Droutsas: We are hoping for a real democratization process in the region. Greece can play a role in this process for two reasons: We are in the immediate neighbourhood and, due to our traditional close ties to the Arab world, we have a trusted voice in the region. On the other hand – on the level of symbolism, now, which is very important when we have such developments – Athens is the birthplace of Democracy. That is why we want to set up a center in Greece that will promote the new political figures and political parties that will emerge from the democratic movements in the region.

Journalist: A kind  of school of Democracy?

Mr. Droutsas: The idea is not to patronize these peoples or to tell them what they should do according to Western models. This is something we can offer in terms of collaboration. Particularly among the young, we see great enthusiasm – enthusiasm that needs to bring positive results. That is why we have to do the right thing at the right time: offer collaboration, not just from Greece, from the whole of Europe.

Journalist: Will you present this plan at the Council of Ministers?

Mr. Droutsas: Certainly. I will present our plan for this center. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with my UK counterpart, William Hague, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The response was very positive. Now we have to make the plan more specific. Another Greek plan concerns the founding of a Bank for the Mediterranean along the lines of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has been supporting former East Bloc countries since 1991.

Journalist: Will the Foreign Ministers decide today on the freezing of Egyptian bank accounts in the EU?

Mr. Droutsas: We need to find a positive approach. The freezing of accounts is a measure we have to take. There’s no question about that. But beyond that, we need to make efforts to decide on a package that will include economic backing and political support.

February 21, 2011