Athens , 28 January 2009

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: Good morning. A few announcements regarding the programme for the coming days. Foreign Minister Ms. Dora Bakoyannis, who is currently the Chairperson of the OSCE, met earlier today, at 10:00, with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, Ambassador Mr. Vyacheslav Gizzatov.

At 12:30, she will receive the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Mehdi Safari, at her office.

Tomorrow at 11:00, Ms. Bakoyannis will participate in the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs. This meeting will include a briefing on all of the foreign policy issues at the outset of the year and in view of the coming year.

As the Chairperson of the OSCE, next Monday, 2 February, Ms. Bakoyannis will be starting her visits to participating states throughout the OSCE space, starting with the Western Balkans.

Specifically, on 2 February she will visit Belgrade, and the following day Pristina, which is the headquarters of the largest of the OSCE’s 19 active missions.

In Serbia, Ms. Bakoyannis will meet with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Minister for Kosovo.

Ms. Bakoyannis will also have the opportunity for a briefing on the course of the programmes being carried out by the OSCE mission in Serbia, in cooperation with the government. These programmes focus on the reform process, mainly in the judicial sector. In Pristina, she will have contacts with the authorities there and she will meet with representatives of the international organizations with offices in Pristina.

Within the same framework, on 9 February Ms. Bakoyannis will visit Tirana, and on 11 and 12 February she will be in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Just to complete the picture, let me say that on 4 February – next Wednesday – Ms. Bakoyannis will open the proceedings of a two-day international conference on “Images of nations: Strategic communication, soft power and the media”.

This conference is being held by the Greek Politics Specialist Group, under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry. The venue for the conference is the Kranidiotis Amphitheatre.

Just a couple of words on the purpose of the conference. The basic goal is for there to be discussion and exploration of the process of building nations’ images in general and Greece’s in particular, as well of the factors impacting the shaping of this image and the potential for effective management and projection of this image.

On the same day – 4 February – at 12:00, the Foreign Minister will receive her OSCE Special Representative on Combating anti-Semitism, Rabbi Andrew Baker.

Regarding the programmes of the Deputy Foreign Ministers, on Friday, 30 January, Mr. Valinakis will participate in the Informal Meeting of SEECP Foreign Ministers, which will take place in Chisinau, Moldova.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Varvitsiotis will meet today with the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ambrose of Korea. At 13:00 today, he will meet at the Foreign Ministry with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs, who met earlier today with the Foreign Minister. And tomorrow and the next day he will participate in the proceedings of the Informal Meeting of EU Development Cooperation Ministers, which is taking place in Prague.

Finally, an announcement of particular interest to those of us here in this room. We have moved ahead on a plan we have had for about a year now. It concerns our adding electronic briefings (e-briefings) to our briefing process. This will be a new service from the Information and Public Diplomacy Department. Participating correspondents will be able to submit questions and receive answers during e-briefings that will be scheduled from now on.

All correspondents in the Foreign Ministry press corps will be able to participate in the e-briefings from anywhere in the world, providing they have Internet access and the appropriate software.

Relevant information and instructions on installing and operating the program will be sent to you in the coming days via email. I just want to note that the e-briefing will not supplant our regular meetings.

Our regular briefings will not be replaced. They will be supplementary and take place as the need arises.

And of course – if need be or such a decision is made – this can even be done on the level of Foreign Minister.

That’s it for announcements. Your questions, please.

Mr. Vatikiotis: Has the Greek Foreign Ministry been informed as to whether the humanitarian aid sent to Israel reached Palestine?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: The bulk of the Greek humanitarian aid that has been sent to Gaza has reached its destination via international organizations active there – specifically, the World Health Organization. The aid (food and medicine) sent by sea reached the Israel port of Ahsdod today and is already being processed through customs. In order for it to reach its final recipients in Gaza – again, through international organizations.

What is still pending is the programme and our intention of hosting children from Gaza who need medical treatment and providing medical treatment for them here in Greece. That is still under way and is being worked out in communication with our partners, because it is part of a broader European programme.

There are still problems and difficulties due the fact that crossing points haven’t opened or they open briefly and then close again. This situation has created a problem in the flow of humanitarian aid, and it was one of the main issues examined recently at the GAERC in Brussels. We think that the opening of border crossings is a top priority, because only this can facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to a population that has immediate and vital need of it.

Mr. Gilson: Regarding the case of the Turkish actor who confessed that he murdered a prisoner of war and 9 others in 1974. The Republic of Cyprus has said that it will submit a complaint against Turkey to the European Court, some case against Turkey, to cooperate in finding the 1,600 missing – however many there still are following the work of the relevant committee in Cyprus. Will Greece collaborate on that, in the sense that obviously there would also have been many Greek soldiers or officers in Cyprus at that time who are included among those 1,600? That’s the first question. The second is the whether that might be a condition – this collaboration on the finding of missing persons – a condition for Turkey’s accession course.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I’ll start by reiterating that this is a poignant confession and testimony which brings back to the surface the acts of shame that marked the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus. There has been a statement from the Foreign Ministry as well as from the government overall.

I would like to add to this that it was an issue that was discussed at the meeting Ms. Bakoyannis had with her Cypriot counterpart on the margins of the GAERC in Brussels this week.

Beyond that, there also arises from your question a dimension of cases or evidence that will have to be investigated. What I can say is that on Greece’s part this study and investigation – which requires great care – is being carried out.

Mr. Gilson: Sorry – I didn’t understand what evidence needs to be investigated. Isn’t it known that there were Greek soldiers and officers who died in Cyprus in 1974?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I wasn’t referring to that. The linking of this fact with the Olgac confession will have to be investigated, as you can understand.

Mr. Gilson: I’m just asking: Is Greece also considering having recourse to the European Court regarding the issue of Turkey’s cooperation in the finding of the missing persons? Its own missing persons, I mean.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: There is an answer that covers how the Greek government is handling the issue at the present stage.

Mr. Karkanias: (off microphone) Regarding the Guantanamo issue. Yesterday, in a State Department briefing, the spokesperson stated that there have been some talks on the level of the EU and on a bilateral level with various countries. It wasn’t revealed who those countries were. Is Greece among those countries that the U.S. talked to about the Guantanamo issue?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: At this stage, there is no such discussion. Beyond that, the statement the Minister made yesterday on this subject holds.

Mr. Gilson: Following the tensions we had in the Aegean, has there been any communication on the political level between the two governments – either Ms. Bakoyannis with her counterpart, or any other communication – regarding the overflights and violations and all that? Has anything been raised on a political level?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: No, there has been no such contact. The actions that have been taken have been announced to you. I am referring to the diplomatic actions, the series of demarches that have been made. The individual demarches that concerned each incident, as well as the comprehensive demarche made by our Ambassador in Ankara.

Mr. Gilson: You had a substantial public dialogue with the Athens daily Eleftherotypia regarding the matter of the Athens FIR and the meetings held regarding it. I want to see whether I understood the result correctly. Is the result that digitalized maps will show the Athens FIR precisely as it was shown by the ICAO in the 1950s?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: That is precisely the subject of the meetings that were held. The precise rendering and depiction of the Athens FIR that is in effect. Let me remind you that the designation of the boundaries of the FIR is the result of international agreements, and thus there can be no unilateral changes to internationally agreed boundaries of the civil aviation monitoring region that is the Athens FIR. So there is no alteration, no movement from that boundary.

Mr. Gilson: Has the Greek government or the Foreign Ministry received any encouragement to revise any point in this boundary?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: No, there is no such issue.

Mr. Papathanasiou: Yesterday, we had new statements from Mr. Gruevski. I want you to comment on these statements and whether there has been any development in the issue of the process. Will the 11 February meeting with Mr. Nimetz take place as scheduled?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: Since last summer, the Gruevski government has come out with such statements – or taken such decisions, or taken such actions – about once every fortnight. So, regarding the recent decisions and actions of the Gruevski government, let me just say that they lack seriousness. But the dearth of seriousness of these actions makes them no less provocative to Greece, nor any less in contravention of the provisions of the Interim Accord.

Regarding the 11 February meeting in New York, it is the first meeting that will be held with the new negotiator for the Skopje side. So it will necessarily be in the nature of getting to know the lay of the land and familiarization, if you will. Beyond that, of course, this meeting is taking place in the climate and atmosphere that I mentioned to you earlier. I don’t expect anything special. A move or some progress would be welcome, but, personally, I don’t expect anything substantially new from this meeting.

Mr. Pollatos: Let me come back to the Olgac case: Is the Greek government willing to offer legal aid to Nicosia in some manner? And my second question: Whether you think he should be tried before a Turkish tribunal or before the International [sic] Court of Human Rights. And a third question: Could you explain to us what you mean by ‘investigating’. For the past 35 years you haven't investigated what happened to Greek officers who were killed in Cyprus?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I will start with the last point. The reference to investigating has to do with this particular testimony, not as a whole.

Mr. Pollatos:  What do you mean by “investigating” and how will you investigate. I don’t understand that.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: To the extent we are able to. It is an extremely complicated story. I told you – and the Government Spokesman told you as well – that this issue will be looked into with particular attention. This is all I can say at this stage. With regard to the investigations – so that there are no misunderstandings – I am not talking about the general problem that existed at the time of the illegal invasion and occupation which is still ongoing in Cyprus, but with regard to the link to this particular testimony-confession.

Beyond that, I have nothing more specific to add at this particular stage. You realise that I cannot jump ahead – there is going to be a parliamentary discussion on Friday following a question that was tabled by the opposition.

Ms. Flores: Does Ms. Bakoyannis’ tour of the Western Balkans – i.e. Belgrade, Tirana, Pristina – and Georgia, have a specific main theme?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: No it is being carried out within the framework of the OSCE Chairmanship competencies. I would simply like to remind you – so that there are no misunderstandings – that the OSCE mission in Kosovo is under the auspices of the UN in implementation of Resolution 1244. So any contacts of the OSCE with representatives at all levels is in full respect of the status neutral approach. As I told you earlier, the Minister’s visit seeks to stress that the OSCE will have to carry out its mandate based on the relevant OSCE Permanent Council Decision of 1999.

Mr. Gilson: Regarding this trip to the Balkans, why is the Minister not going to visit Skopje, given that the country is soon to hold presidential elections to be monitored by OSCE election observers, and that there were major irregularities in the latest elections? Is there a particular reason why this country was not included in the Minister’s tour?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: As you rightly said, OSCE election observers will be responsible for monitoring municipal and presidential elections to be held this March. At this stage, the Minister’s visit to the Western Balkans includes the cities I announced.

Mr. Santamouris: Do you have anything to announce following the meeting between Ms. Bakoyannis and her Russian counterpart, mainly with regard to stabilising Georgia and South Ossetia, and also following the discussion on energy with the Iraqi Foreign Minister?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: With regard to the discussion with Mr. Lavrov, what was publicly stated has covered the whole of the talks. The Greek Chairmanship’s proposal is on the table. There is a reasonable, guarded optimism that in this particularly difficult environment, that there might be a convergence and coincidence of views. In any event, none of the OSCE participating states has not discouraged the Chairmanship from continuing its effort towards reaching a compromise on this difficult issue.

With regard to energy issues, there was a discussion specifically on this issue with Iraq’s Foreign Minister.

Ms. Kourbella: I have a question regarding an issue related to the European Union’s maritime spatial planning. Since November, the EU has been promoting this issue, which is of great interest to Greece of course. It is a spatial planning for the entire maritime space of the European Union for environmental and energy reasons, and I wanted to ask whether Greece is aware and whether it is taking action.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I will have to check with the competent European Affairs Directorate in order to answer your specific question.

Mr. Athanassopoulos: Mr. Spokesman, could you tell me how it is possible for the international community to be annoyed with the Gruevski government’s actions and for the latest European Parliament report to be quite positive regarding Skopje’s accession process. That is my first question. And my second question is that lately there have been discussions with officials from countries of the Middle East in an effort – I guess – of Greek diplomacy to take action in the region. Are there any specific initiatives that we are planning to take in this particular region and what has been the response to them? Thank you.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I will start with your second question. These meetings confirm the traditional ties and communication between Greece and the Arab world and the Middle East. Here I would like to remind you that the meetings with the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority, with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, and the Jordanian Foreign Minister took place in view of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council last Monday. Within this Council, Greece plays a very specific and substantial role in shaping EU decisions (and no exaggeration is intended here), which sometimes do not reach the point that we would like. But there is still a substantial contribution on the part of Greece to shaping these decisions. 

Apart from focusing on the current situation in the region, there was a bilateral dimension to these meetings. There are clearly discussions and we are seeking ways to promote bilateral cooperation with all of the region's states. Beyond that, I believe that Greece’s activities at the current phase – particularly with regard to the humanitarian aspect that was our country’s and the international community’s priority – confirm that Greece can make its own distinctive mark on the region of the Middle East. We will keep up our efforts to contribute as much as we can – first of all, with regard to managing the current extremely difficult situation and, secondly, averting complete stagnation of the peace process.

It is unquestionably positive that the new U.S. administration under President Obama has quickly shown that it wants the U.S. to take substantial action in the Middle East.

Mr. Athanassopoulos: My first question has to do with the European Parliament.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: You know that the Foreign Minister answered that on Monday. I have nothing further to add to that. The discussion at the European Parliament was held at the level of the Committee. The next stage is approval by the Parliament’s plenary. Greek MEPs will proceed to the necessary coordinated actions.

Beyond that, the government is making its own efforts at the level of the Council and has contacts with other EU governments. When I spoke earlier about annoyance due to the latest actions and decisions of the government of Skopje, I was referring to the level of the governments and the Commission.

Mr. Fourlis: The Foreign Minister mentioned Turkey's European course in her speech the day before yesterday in Brussels and also referred to the conditions that have to be met, but there is no mention of the Cyprus issues, and I would like to ask you whether this is a change of policy or whether the Foreign Minister's speechwriter got it wrong.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: It is well known that at the end of the current year – as has been agreed upon – there will be an evaluation of Turkey’s level of compliance, particularly with regard to the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement.

This is a given fact and it goes without saying that Turkey's level of compliance as well as the progress and steps taken to normalise relations with the of the Republic of Cyprus – that is also among Turkey’s obligations – unquestionably influence, and have already influenced, Turkey's European course.

Repeating given facts does not add anything to or take anything away from Greece’s firm policy.

Mr. Meletis: I’m sorry, Mr. Spokesman, human rights are also a given fact, the level of Turkey's democratization that the Foreign Minister mentioned is also a given fact; all the rest is a given fact. My question is specific: was it a mistake, an omission, or is it a change of policy on the part of Greece?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: There is no change of policy.

Mr. Meletis: Fine, it was a mistake.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: A speech made at an academic forum cannot cover every aspect of a state's foreign policy. All the more so since it is well known that Greece's fundamental position is the linking of Turkey’s compliance with all of the prerequisites that it has undertaken to its achieving accession.

Mr. Athanassopoulos: Has the Greek government been informed of developments within the EU COREPER regarding efforts to separate the issue of Turkey's re-evaluation and the Cyprus issue. Why have there been reports in the Cypriot press on that? Thank you.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: There may well be such thoughts. That does not mean that we can ignore the agreed-upon process at the European Council; that is, at the level of heads of state and government.

Ms. Spanou: Do you have any information about the inspection by the U.S. coastguard of an Iranian ship under Cypriot flag that was carrying arms to Syria?

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: No, I have no information on that. 

Ms. Spanou: There was an official briefing by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday. That’s why I'm asking.

Mr. G. Koumoutsakos: I have nothing particular to tell you on that.

Thank you.