Athens, 1 July 2009

Secretary General for European Affairs Mr. Dimitris Katsoudas met today with eleven U.S. students (postgraduate and PhD candidates) of Greek origin in continuation to the meeting that they had with Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis.

Secretary General for European Affairs explained to them Greece’s course within the EU and the latter’s operation and pointed out that Greek foreign policy actions are mostly going through the EU – which has particular structures on relations with third countries.

Furthermore, Mr. Katsoudas stressed Greece’s decisive role in the reconstruction of the Balkans and mentioned that our country as the biggest investor in the Balkans created more than 200,000 jobs in Southeast Europe. He also mentioned that Greece remains dedicated to the goal of the European perspective for every country – irrespective of its neighbouring countries.

Finally, Mr. Katsoudas made an extensive reference to the EU dynamic with a special emphasis on the expected ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by all member states. He stressed that its adoption will become a turning point for the future of Europe, rendering it more functional and more effective.

A detailed discussion followed afterwards.