Mr. Droutsas: We hold matters in our hands, we are confident, and, believe me, we will succeed not only with the economy, but also in our foreign policy.
Journalist: What are the main goals of the reorganization of the Foreign Ministry that you announced recently? Is there a clear timeframe, and what are the main or even new ideas the Ministry is looking at for filling the gaps undoubtedly created by the current economic state of affairs?
Mr. Droutsas: The main goal of this endeavour is simply to bring the Foreign Ministry into the 21st century. It is an institution – and I say this in all sincerity – with an unbelievable dynamic that sometimes cannot perform optimally due to institutional constraints, if you will, and organizational weaknesses.
So, we are talking about ideas that, first of all, will increase Greece’s presence in the world; will strengthen and coordinate Greece’s voice; will finally give the Central Service the personnel profile it needs; will provide electronic services to Greeks from abroad, within the framework of the e-governance the government wants to achieve overall; and will create a better system for evaluating and capitalizing on the Ministry’s human resources.
This, to me, is very important, and, if you will, the most important thing is for all of this to happen – at the Foreign Ministry as well – with full transparency and meritocracy. These two words are the key, and they are not just words. I believe deeply in these processes.
All of this has to happen in the most open and cohesive manner at the Foreign Ministry – I think, in a manner the Foreign Ministry has not known until now.
Through open and ongoing dialogue with all the Ministry personnel, with all the branches, all of the employees serving at the Foreign Ministry.
And I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Foreign Ministry personnel for their work and their dedication to date.
Journalist: To what extent is the economic crisis impacting Greece’s actions and initiatives with regard to current international developments?
Mr. Droutsas: In terms of foreign policy, we see the crisis just as it is seen in many other sectors in Greece: not just as a challenge, as a crisis, but as a real opportunity as well. This is what we are focussing our attention on when we are facing this challenge in Greece. We simply want to make the crisis an opportunity for all the changes necessary for renewing Greece. And this holds true for the exercising of foreign policy.
May 26, 2011