STAVROS DIMAS: It is a pleasure to welcome NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to Athens. His visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of Greece’s entry into NATO. But this also gave us the opportunity to discuss the major challenges facing the Alliance today, ahead of the Chicago Summit Meeting this coming May.
In its 60 years as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, Greece – one of the longest-standing members of NATO – has always been a dynamic presence in NATO missions, through participation as well as provision of its defense infrastructure. In combination with its geostrategic location in one of the most sensitive regions on the planet, Greece’s participation in NATO is a critical power factor, providing added value to our defence and foreign policy. But no one can ignore the major challenges Greece has to face on a national level; challenges that, unfortunately, have not found a response in our participation in the Alliance.
Yesterday, we had new threats against Cyprus. We had flyovers again, we had Greece’s sovereign rights being questioned. This is not conduct befitting an ally. It is conduct that must cease. Greece defends its rights. Unfortunately, however, instead of talking today about what unifies us, we see provocations that undermine the prospects for improvement in Greek-Turkish relations.
The international environment within which NATO is called upon to carry out its mission has changed drastically over the past 60 years. The notion of ‘threat’ has also changed. In spite of this, the Alliance has managed to adapt successfully to new challenges. The Secretary General’s personal contribution to these efforts has been catalytic and has Greece’s support.
In a few months, the Chicago Summit Meeting will take place. The allies will be called upon to respond to pressing matters, including the process of transferring responsibility for Afghanistan’s security from NATO’s ISAF operation to the Afghan authorities, as well as the strengthening of NATO’s cooperation ties with its partners and other major players in the international community, and the implementation of the Smart Defense initiative, which is aimed at finding the best ways to develop means and capability in the midst of an unfavourable international economic state of affairs. The economies of the NATO countries are facing the most serious economic crisis in their modern history. So, we have to find a way to do more with less.
The adoption of NATO’s new Strategic Concept, under the Secretary General’s guidance, is the Alliance’s roadmap for moving into the new era. The new Concept incorporates the highest principles, including maintaining the rule of unanimity in decision making, respect for the principles of the United Nations and the rules of international law in its actions, acknowledgment of the strategic nature of the Alliance’s cooperation with Russia, strengthening of EU-NATO relations, and the importance of the gradual incorporation of the countries of the Western Balkans into Euroatlantic institutions, which is one of Greece’s strategic goals, within the framework of agreed criteria and prerequisites, including good neighbourly relations. We talked about all these issues, and we will continue to discuss them during our luncheon.
So, I would like once again to thank the Secretary General for being here in Athens today to celebrate with us the 60th anniversary of Greece’s accession to and membership in NATO.
Thank you very much.
ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Mr. Dimas, thank you very much for your kind words. We had a very positive meeting this morning, we will continue this afternoon.
First of all, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you and Greece on the 60th anniversary of your membership of NATO. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for your strong commitment to our alliance, to the transatlantic relationship. We are grateful for your significant contributions to NATO-led operations last year, the very successful operation to protect civilians in Libya. You also contributed significantly to our operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan and, politically, Greece has played and will play a crucial role when it comes to the Euroatlantic integration of countries in the Western Balkans. And I would like to see all countries in the Western Balkans integrated in our Euroatlantic structures, NATO and the European Union, and I think Greece can play an important role in facilitating that process.
I am visiting Athens at a time when the Government is struggling to get the finances in order and reshape the economy. To my mind, there is a strong link between security and economy because, if countries are faced with huge deficits and mounting debt, they also become more vulnerable. So, sound fiscal policies are also sound security policies. In that respect, NATO offers both good economy and good security. Good security because we make each other stronger when we help each other, good economy because we can actually ensure more efficient use of our resources when we go for multinational solutions instead of purely national solutions. So, if we help each other we get stronger, that is the essence of our alliance.
NATO is a family of nations that share the same values and a family within which we help each other. This will also be an important item on the agenda of the NATO Summit in Chicago: we will discuss how we can ensure strong defense in the future, how we can acquire the necessary military capabilities despite the economic crisis and declining defense spending. And the way forward is what we call “Smart Defense”, a smarter way of spending defense money and the smarter way is to do it together, to pool and share resources and to go for multinational solutions. During my talks today with members of the Greek Government, I got a confirmation that Greece is prepared to engage in such a multinational cooperation.
Finally, at the Chicago Summit we will also discuss our partnerships with countries across the globe. I will highlight, on this occasion, our partnerships with countries in North Africa and the Middle East. In the wake of the Arab Spring, I think we should take the opportunity to enhance our partnerships with countries in that region; that is of strategic interest to us, to see freedom and prosperity flourish in North Africa and the Middle East and to see the Mediterranean as a sea of peace, a center of economic growth and prosperity. That would be in the interest of Greece, but it would also be in the interest of the whole of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic area, and I would expect the NATO Summit in Chicago to make important decisions on enhancement of our partnerships with countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
JOURNALIST: I would like to direct a question to the Greek Foreign Minister, Mr. Dimas. I would like you comment on the recent Turkish Foreign Ministry announcement, and specifically regarding the essentially indirect threats from Turkey regarding the second round of permits in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone.
STAVROS DIMAS: I think I’ll start with what the Secretary General said: The Mediterranean, the Eastern Mediterranean needs to be a sea that unites; a sea of peace. I would like to say that rather than making threats, Turkey should respect international law and the UN Charter and the Law of the Sea, as underscored by the European Council in its conclusions of this past December.
By refusing to normalize its relations with the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey is impeding the negotiations on the resolution of the Cyprus issue, which are directly linked, of course, with the exercising of the Republic of Cyprus’s sovereign rights. As we have repeatedly stressed in the past, Greece and Cyprus will not join Turkey in making threats and provocations.
Greece fully supports the Republic of Cyprus in the exercising of the latter’s sovereign rights in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone; rights that are recognized by everyone in the international community apart from Turkey. Greece and Cyprus are in ongoing collaboration on coordinating their actions.
JOURNALIST: Thank you, Martin Benedict, from the Associated Press. I have a question for the NATO Secretary General. How confident are you that we will, at some point, have a peace agreement in Afghanistan involving the Taliban? And also how concerned are you about what Iran is now saying about its nuclear program?
ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: First, on Iran and the nuclear program, let me stress that NATO as an alliance is not involved in the Iran question. Individual allies are, and obviously we follow the situation closely. It may, of course, in the longer term perspective also have security implications.
We support the international efforts to find a political and diplomatic solution to this problem. We urge the Iranian leadership to comply with its international obligations, including relevant UN security resolutions. I have no information on which I can base any assessments of the Iranian statements.
As far as Afghanistan is concerned, I don’t know whether it will be possible to find a negotiated solution to the conflicts in Afghanistan. But my position is very clear. If there is any chance to find a political and negotiated solution, I think we should explore that possibility on certain conditions.
The first condition is that this process is led by the Afghans themselves. So, the Afghan government must be in the driver’s seat. That is the first condition. Secondly, it’s also, in my opinion, a precondition that groups and individuals involved in such a reconciliation process abide by and respect the democratic Afghan constitution, including women’s rights and other human rights.
And finally, it’s also a precondition that such groups cut links to terrorist groups. If these conditions are fulfilled, I think we should give it a try. Whether it is possible, I don’t know. But I know one thing: the stronger the military pressure on the Taliban, the better the chance that they realize that they have no chance whatsoever, militarily, so it’s better to go to the negotiation table. So, my point is that we will keep up the military pressure that will also facilitate a political solution.
February 16, 2012