E. KOZAKOU-MARKOULLI: Good evening. I will start by pointing out two or three important things, as is traditional. The first official visit abroad of the Greek Foreign Minister, my friend Dimitris Avramopoulos, is to Cyprus. Second, the first official guest of Cyprus, on the first day of our EU Presidency, is the Foreign Minister of Greece, Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos. I believe this is very significant and a very loud message regarding the very close ties and very close cooperation between Cyprus and Greece throughout the years.
We had the opportunity to discuss a very large number of issues that have to do with the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency, the crisis in the eurozone, the Cyprus issue, the Turkish threats regarding the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey’s accession negotiations, as well as enlargement issues more generally, such as Southern Neighbourhood issues, and, as you know, enlargement issues – particularly with regard to the Balkans and the Southern Neighbourhood – are one of the Cypriot Presidency’s priorities.
Let me say that there was a coincidence of views, as well as an opportunity for us to have much better coordination, particularly during these next six months. I want to thank the Foreign Minister and the Greek government publicly once again for the great assistance Greece has given us with experts who helped us to prepare for our Presidency, both here at the Foreign Ministry and at other Ministries. I give the floor to the Foreign Minister of Greece.
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: First of all, thank you once again, Madam Foreign Minister and my good friend Erato, for the welcome and the warmth within which our talks took place. I also have to say that it is a great pleasure to begin my term as Greek Foreign Minister with this visit to Cyprus. This is not just symbolic in its value, but also comes from my heart.
So, it is a particular pleasure to meet today with my friend the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, with whom I had a very interesting discussion in a very warm climate of mutual understanding and shared views.
I would also like to offer my special thanks to the Foreign Minister for one more reason: for this meeting today, on a truly historic day for the Republic of Cyprus and for Europe, with the Republic of Cyprus embarking on its EU Presidency. On my arrival at the airport, I wished you the best of luck, and I am sure that when these six months have passed, Cyprus will have made its mark with its priorities, with its excellent organization, with important results that will determine the future of our new great country, Europe.
Our talks were extremely useful, as we had the opportunity to discuss in detail the course of the Cyprus issue, progress with the explorations in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone, and the excellent preparations that were made for Cyprus’s EU Presidency.
We also talked about the efforts to confront the economic crisis, the latest developments in the European Union, following the Summit Meeting, as well as the situation in Syria and the wider Middle East.
Our talks reconfirmed and reaffirmed the coincidence of Greek and Cypriot views and goals, as well as the excellent and close level of cooperation that exists between our two Ministries.
I assured my friend Erato that Greece will continue to stand by Cyprus wholeheartedly and in practice. At this point I would like to say that we may be going through difficult times with the economic crisis, but Greece continues to be a strong factor for stability in the wider region. Its ‘diplomatic stockpile’ has not been reduced, and we are always prepared to undertake initiatives in this direction.
The end of the Turkish occupation and the finding of a comprehensive and agreed solution to the Cyprus issue is a top priority of Greek foreign policy and is the key to full normalization of Greek-Turkish relations. This solution must be just, viable and functional, and it must be based on the resolutions of the UN and on the principles and values of the European Union, and be in line with the community acquis.
I think it is a strategic error on the part of Turkey not to see the Republic of Cyprus’s participation in the EU and the significant natural resources in the Cypriot EEZ as a motive for speedy resolution of the Cyprus issue.
Achievement of a solution is in all our interests. Unfortunately, however, Turkey continues to threaten with partition plans and to avoid contacts with the Republic of Cyprus, while also proceeding to hostile activities in the Cypriot EEZ. These are dead-end moves that exacerbate the climate, delaying the solution of the Cyprus issue.
The climate of hostility towards Cyprus must stop immediately, along with the expression of threats against Cyprus.
In closing, I would like to offer my warm thanks to Ms. Erato Markoulli for her hospitality and for this very interesting and warm discussion. And I want to assure her that the Greek government and I, personally, we always be at her side, at the side of the Cypriot people, so that the just and viable solution we are all seeking can be achieved, in the interest of the prosperity of our citizens, and of ensuring peace and stability in the region.
We are moving ahead together, in a spirit of shared perceptions, and I am sure, as I said earlier, that at the end of these six months, positive results will have been achieved in the name of cooperation, peace, stability in the wider region and our common European future. I thank her again, and of course we have ample time tonight and tomorrow to continue our talks and cooperation in the same spirit.
JOURNALIST (to both foreign ministers): What is your assessment of the results of the recent EU Summit Meeting, and whether you discussed a coordination and shared perspective plan.
E. KOZAKOU-MARKOULLI: It was one of the issues we looked at, particularly the results of and the Conclusions of the recent European Council. But you can see that these are issues on which we will have to have ongoing meetings, and particularly with the competent ministries. They are very important Conclusions and very important decisions for the whole of the European Union, but particularly for member states in the south. Certainly, Greece, Cyprus and our other partners in the southern region of the EU can and must capitalize on these decisions. Our cooperation is certainly a given in this area too.
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I agree with what Foreign Minister Markoulli said, and I want to add that capitalizing on the results and the Conclusions of the recent European Council will benefit the whole of Europe, and particularly the countries of the European south.
The Greek government is studying and assessing these Conclusions, and I am certain that, following the assurances provided by the Greek Prime Minister as well, the way is open so far to making positive use of the European Council Conclusions.
Ms. Markoulli and I analyzed and discussed the content of the recent Summit Meeting, which, as you know, I attended as part of the delegation supporting the Greek representation, under the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, and we went deeply into all the aspects of the Conclusions of this very important Summit Meeting.
July 1, 2012