Preview of Greek Foreign Minister's Visit

Ambassador Fried: We are very excited to welcome the new Foreign Minister to Washington. She is known to us from her time as Mayor Bakoyannis, now Minister Bakoyannis. Our relations with Greece really have never been stronger. We have common agendas in the region, especially in the Balkans, and increasingly globally. We appreciate Greece’s help through NATO. Greece is an ally; Greece is a partner. Whether it is issues far from Greece, whether it’s Greece’s support in Afghanistan, or close to Greece and Greece’s support for stability and a lasting peace in the Balkans, we and Greece enjoy both close relations at the high level of principle and close relations at the level of specific projects.

Of course we had excellent relations with Foreign Minister Molyviatis, a good colleague. So I don’t want to suggest that her visit is a breakthrough because it’s so much better. That’s not the case. She is building on actually one of the best foundations we’ve had.

So we’re looking forward to this. I’ll be happy – my colleague Matt Bryza and I – will be happy to take your questions. I should also say that I am lucky because I’ve known Ambassador Ries for almost 30 years. He’s an A-grade ambassador. Absolutely A-grade. We sent one of our best.

Question: Who initiated this meeting? The Greek or the American side?

Ambassador Fried: It just seemed like the right thing to do. I honestly don’t even remember, but it seemed – when we recommended this visit to the Secretary, it was the easiest possible recommendation. I honestly think it just seemed like an automatic decision. New foreign minister, close ally, let’s invite her.

Question: So it was your side.

Ambassador Fried: Yes. Although it was so obvious I don’t even think we even he had to discuss whether we should invite her. The question was when. When does this make sense? So we just skipped over that stage.

Question: Can you say something about the agenda, since you initiated the invitation?

Ambassador Fried: The agenda will be our common agenda in the world. Both issues of general concern because Greece is a European country. So obviously the Middle East and its constituent problems, whether it is Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel-Palestinian issues, or reform. Greece is a contributor and an important contributor in the Broader Middle East Initiative through the foundation. In the Forum for the Future Greece is contributing to the Foundation for the Future to promote democracy.

Also regional issues. Obviously Greece is knowledgeable about and has perfectly legitimate interests in the Balkans, so I cannot imagine that they’re not going to discuss issues like Kosovo. Serbia, and how to help Serbia realize a European future. Greece can really help. The Serbs understand that you’re a friend but you’re also a friend in Europe.

I imagine Cyprus will come up. Right?

Question: Maybe. [Laughter].

Ambassador Fried: How could it not?

Question: And Greek-Turkish relations?

Ambassador Fried: Yes, although this is much less exciting than it used to be, which is a good thing. Greek-Turkish --

Question: The other day the Turkish Prime Minister Elect threatened Greece with war and Minister Bakoyannis saying this is not acceptable as far as --

Deputy Assistant Secretary Matt Bryza: For the Turkish National Security Doctrine, the extension of the economic limit to 12 miles. It --

Ambassador Fried: All right, all right. This is not a particularly belligerent signal. This is a long-standing disagreement between two neighbors. I do not regard this, and I was recently in Ankara and I did not hear anything which was anti-Greek or belligerent or nothing. It was all neighborly relations.

And let me just state with respect to Cyprus that we support reunification and a bizonal, bicommunal federation of the island. We do not support and we will not support separatism or a division of the island. I say this without equivocation, without hesitation, without any of the usual diplomatic prevarications, all right? Just flat out. Reunification, bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Bryza: No creeping recognition --

Ambassador Fried: No recognition, no creeping recognition, no tacit recognition, no crawling recognition [Laughter] – nothing. No recognition.

Everything we are trying to do is aimed at promoting reunification. Okay?

Question: The --

Ambassador Fried: No doubt we will have – I wanted to just state our policy and then I’ll be happy to take questions, but I wanted to say that.

Question: I think we miss something. How about FYROM? Are they going to discuss FYROM?

Ambassador Fried: Briefly. Our position on, we call it Macedonia, you know that. That’s okay, you can call it FYROM and I will not object, all right? [Laughter]. I will not be angry or walk out.

Question: No problem, yes.

Ambassador Fried: You know our national position.

We support the UN process. We support the negotiations that Matt Nimetz is conducting. We will support the outcome. All right? We will support the outcome. So this is not, our position has not changed. The fact is, I think it is certainly in Greece’s interest to have a stable, unified, developing democracy on your northern borders. You don’t want another war. And Greece is poised to be a major and constructive partner – major, the great outside investor in the Balkans. So I think Greece-Macedonian relations are very good except for this one issue, and hopefully it can get resolved.

Question: How do you help them to resolve it?

Ambassador Fried: We’ve encouraged, I know Matt Nimetz. I’ve known him for almost 30 years. We support his efforts. We support his efforts to find a compromise, to work with both sides, and we will continue to do so. We also make it clear, including to the Macedonians, both publicly and privately, that we do support a negotiated settlement. It’s not for us to impose a solution. But our national position about the name does not pre-judge where we would come out of the two sides worked on some compromise. We would accept what they worked out. We would accept Matt Nimetz, a solution that both sides accepted.

Question: Do you know when Condoleezza Rice is going to visit Athens?

Ambassador Fried: No. But I know that she wants to at some point, but I don’t know when.

Question: What about Ankara?

Ambassador Fried: Exactly the same answer.

Question: Mr. Secretary, two questions about the comments you made. When a friendly country, a neighbor, comes out and says it’s a causus belli, what would one expect from a country that is [inaudible]?

Ambassador Fried: Is this a new issue, or is it an old issue? I think it is an old issue. Is this a new Turkish position or an old one? Is this the first time they’ve said this, or have they said this repeatedly for years?

I believe that they have said this repeatedly for years. Therefore, I would not read much more into this than a restatement of the Turkish position.

Question: In the forefront --

Ambassador Fried: You should ask --

Question: They are aspiring to become a member of the European Union, so instead of increasing the level of those statements and intensity, I guess one would expect that they would decrease the intensity of the statements.

Ambassador Fried: Look, I’m not going to speak for the Turkish government. You should ask them directly. What I can say is that the Turks have not to us expressed hostile or angry sentiments toward Greece at all, and I was just in Ankara. Not at all. They did not – I didn’t hear the words causus belli, I didn’t hear the words "problems with Greece." We discussed a lot of issues, and the only time I think Greece came up was in the context of improving relations and the need to advance them, but we didn’t discuss it in detail.

Ask the Turks. But I certanily don’t sense a hardening of Turkish positions. I consider this a restatement. But again, ask the Turks to explain it, not me.

Question: My second question on the statements that you made, you said that you have encouraged the Macedonians to negotiate and to find a settlement acceptable to both sides.

Ambassador Fried: Yes.

Question: I want to ask you, how much they will we be encouraged if the U.S. or any other country [inaudible] recognizes them by their constitutional name? On the one hand, you recognize them by their constitutional name, and then you say that you encourage them. Why should they be encouraged?

And by the same token, I want to go to the Cyprus issue. On the one hand, you will say that no recognition of Turkish side and so on. And at the same time --

Ambassador Fried: No recognition of a separate state.

Question: Separate state, right. And at the same time, why should they be encouraged in any way, possible to negotiate, if you raise the direct contacts with that entity?

Ambassador Fried: The reason we think the Macedonians should negotiate is because they want to join the EU and NATO eventually. Greece has taken a very wise position of allowing the negotiations to go forward under the name of FYROM. The Macedonians were wise by accepting this Greek position. It was a very intelligent Greek position.

What we say to the Macedonians is look. If you want to join NATO and the EU not as FYROM you have to work out something with the Greeks.

I don’t want to go back a couple of years and explain again why we did what we did, but frankly, you know the circumstances. You know that the Ohrid Accords were in danger. You know there was a referendum which might have undone the Ohrid Accords which might have brought instability in Macedonia.

We know Greece disagrees with the position, and that’s not a bilateral problem. We just had a difference of view. But we did what we did in order to support stability in Macedonia, which we thought was in Greece’s interest. We understand that Greece was not happy with that, and that is not a bilateral problem. In other words, we’re not mad at Greece for disagreeing with us. Greece is a sovereign country.

With respect to Cyprus, we do not and will not recognize the separatism. We do work with the Turkish Cypriot community, the people. There is a difference between the previous leadership and the current leadership. The previous leadership was, let us say, less than convincing in its commitment to reunification. I’m being – What do you want me to say? [Laughter].

The current leadership is more convincingly, more credibly committed to reunification. It is on that basis that we want to deal with that community. Not as a state entity. I want to be very clear. But as we deal with them in the context of our hope that there will be a bizonal, bicommunal federation, and they are – bizonal, bicommunal meaning two. And they will be one of the two in a reunited island, a reunited Cyprus. But we only recognize one government, one Cyprus, and I don’t even have to be careful as I say that because there is no nuance in our position. A flat statement, easily made.

Question: I don’t want to be the difficult guy here.

Ambassador Fried: Oh, now it’s okay.

Question: I listened to your statement, your introductory statement about the very good relations and everything. For two months right now the U.S. is ridiculed on the Greek press on the surveillance scandal, with the responsibility of the [inaudible] government. They gave an initial press conference and they point the finger to the U.S. This thing continues.

Recently we have the decision on the F-16s. They decided not to take the 10 more planes. It was an option. It’s their decision. But at the same time they point to the fact that they are almost decided without competition, open competition, to purchase Eurofighters. It’s their decision also. But without competition means that they exclude the U.S. and all the other countries that want to compete.

On the Cyprus issue, you stated the U.S. position which is perfectly clear, but at the same time it’s a U.S. policy to say that the recent proposal by the Foreign Minister of Turkey, by Turkey, on the ports issue, the ten proposals on the ports issue on Cyprus, you accept that as a positive proposal to find a way forward and help with reunification and help Turkey to fulfill its responsibilities to the European Union.

So Greece disagrees on that, clearly. They say this is an old [inaudible] proposal, something Turkey said before. It’s not constructive.

So don’t take me wrong, but I fail a little bit to see this rosy scenario of relationship. It’s rosy right now, but all these things, they continue to flourish, and down the road we will have problems.

So this administration, in my opinion after being all these years here, is very honest when it discusses foreign policy. So are you ready to have the honest discussion with the Foreign Minister about all these issues?

Ambassador Fried: I’ve said that the relations were very good and I mean it. That doesn’t mean – Greece is a sovereign country. We’re two sovereign countries. Very good doesn’t mean you have to agree on every issue. Sovereign countries can be friends and allies and have areas where we disagree. That’s not abnormal. It doesn’t mean our relations are bad. It means that we have relations where we see things differently. We do so with Germany on occasion, we do so with France on occasion, we do so with the UK on occasion.

We and the British disagree, for example, about Kyoto. Does that mean we have bad relations? Hardly. It means we disagree on this issue.

On the F-16s, the Greece Air Force is flying a lot of F-16s now. Greece has agreed to purchase more. That’s a good thing. Greece is going to make a decision about purchasing Eurofighters. We think the F-16 is the best fighter in its class. It will stand up to any other in an open competition. Of course we favor open competition. Greece is a sovereign country. It will make its decisions.

I’m not going to say anything about the surveillance scandal. Obviously I’m aware of it, but we don’t comment on such matters either way.

On the ports issue, actually I appreciate the way you phrased it because you described our position accurately. We thought the Turkish proposal was a good step and a constructive step because it’s clear that the Turks are trying to find a way forward. We understand that Greece has a different view. Turkey has to fulfill its EU requirements. We know this. We’ve always said so. We believe that Turkey should be treated like any other aspirant country to join the EU. They should meet the requirements and not be forced to meet additional requirements.

What we would like to do is find a way to reach out to all the people of Cyprus, including the Turkish Cypriot community which will promote reunification of the island and not promote separatism. Now that’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. But instead of thinking about all of the problems, starting where we are now and then thinking of all the obstacles, put yourself in a position of the future, at some point when it’s a reunified island. A bizonal, bicommunal federation, because that’s going to happen.

Now, when you put yourself in the future and look back, what are the things that need to happen to get you there? One of the things that needs to happen is that the Turkish-Cypriot community has to be supported in its desire to reunify, not in its desire for separatism. And only in its desire to reunify.

We should think of ways to support the pro-unification forces on the island because that’s our objective.

We’re very flexible about what is the best approach. We’re willing to hear suggestions from Greece. We’re willing to hear suggestions from Turkey. But I want to make clear what our aim is. There’s no hidden agenda, period. There is an open agenda, which is reunification. I expect to have discussions with our Greek friends before and after the Foreign – after, because we’re almost there – the Foreign Minister meeting about what we can do to promote the shared objective of a reunified island.

Question: On that, in order to finish it, [inaudible] information, is still the U.S. position that the Annan plan is a good basis for negotiation? And do you support the Annan plan? The second thing, I assume that there is still an ongoing policy to raise the economic level and help the Turkish Cypriots to vote for a yes on the Annan plan.

Ambassador Fried: We do want to help the Turkish Cypriots but only in ways that do not support --

Question: Yes, but --

Ambassador Fried: I have to emphasize it because --

Question: Not to me. I get it.

Ambassador Fried: No, no. And to our Cypriot friends and the Greek Cypriot community because it’s easily misunderstood. It’s a real challenge to reach out to the community without supporting separatism. The only reason I think it’s possible is because the leadership is pro-unification as opposed to anti-unification.

Question: And the Annan plan?

Ambassador Fried: We still consider it a good basis, but I will be willing to listen; any way that gets us to reunification is worthy of listening to.

Question: You mean scrap it all the way?

Ambassador Fried: Don’t lead me down there. I think it’s a good basis. I also understand that the UN is going to sponsor some technical talks on the ground up, which is not about, those aren’t about reunification except that they bring the communities together. It may be that the people are ahead and will surprise us all.

The borders have been open for what, three years?

Question: [Multiple voices].

Question: You’re promoting, you are saying that [inaudible] the best to unify the island.

Ambassador Fried: Yes.

Question: But we know specifically that the Cyprus government openly, via the [inaudible] of the European Union say to the other side as far as for the trade [inaudible] you can do that via the legitimate government of the Republic of Cyprus. Why you have been that direct and not [deal with] the Cyprus government?

Ambassador Fried: We have to find --

Question: The U.S. law, the international law, against the UN Resolution, against the maritime [law], there are so many variables. Why you are doing that [direct]? I can’t understand this.

Ambassador Fried: I’m not an international lawyer. There are theories – in fact, when this issue came up I actually looked up whether there is trade between the United States and the Turkish Cypriot community. It’s so minuscule as to be almost – it’s almost a statistical freak. There’s very very little. So we’re not talking about a large issue that exists in reality.

We think there may be ways without compromising the sovereignty of Cyprus, which we recognize, to reach out to the Turkish Cypriot community. We’re thinking about that.

The problem you pose is a legitimate one, that is how can you do in practical terms what we want to do, which is reach out to the Turkish Cypriot community without suggesting that we support separatism. That’s a challenge, and we want to find creative ways to do this. But ways that do not compromise our position that there’s one Cyprus, and our goal is a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Question: Along with the same question. If the United States, indeed, does business with the northern part of Cyprus, any potential trade agreements, will that translate into recognition?

Ambassador Fried: It’s a fair question. We will not do anything, we will not do anything that would recognize a separate state. No recognition.

Bryza: No trade agreements. No one’s ever talked about the trade agreements.

Question: I said a potential trade agreement.

Ambassador Fried: I’ve never heard of such a thing because we don’t recognize them.

Question: For any sort of --

Ambassador Fried: We recognize there is a Turkish Cypriot community. That exists.

Question: It’s clear.

Question: Do you have any unresolved problem on the bilateral level between Greece and the United States for the talks between Bakoyannis and [inaudible] allies? Any unresolved?

Ambassador Fried: Any unresolved problems?

Question: Yes.

Ambassador Fried: I am not aware of unresolved problems. I am aware of issues on which our governments have somewhat different positions but that’s not the same thing.

We look at this as an opportunity to strengthen a joint agenda. It is obvious there are issues on which Greece is sensitive and we want to hear those sensitivities. And the fact that Greece may have a different approach or a somewhat different perspective on some issues doesn’t mean we have difficulties. It means we’re dealing with each other honestly as friends.

Question: You said that on Kosovo almost you are on agreement with the Greek government to find a solution as far as with the [inaudible] et cetera, et cetera.

Ambassador Fried: Yes.

Question: But how do you react, and I would like an answer to the statement the other day by the Albanian Foreign Minister, who said specifically that if Kosovo is not going to become independent, Albania is not going to respect the present borders of the [inaudible] countries, starting from FYROM, the so-called Macedonia as you said earlier.

This is a big issue.

Ambassador Fried: We have already said that there can be no partition of Kosovo, no return to the pre-1999 status, and we’ve also said no greater Kosovo, no greater Albania. And we have made it very clear that that is simply impossible and destabilizing.

I do not believe that the Albanian government harbors any expansionist designs. Macedonia has made a successful effort at integrating the ethnic Albanian community. They participate in the government, the --

Question: The --

Ambassador Fried: The Ohrid Agreement is holding. We support it. We do not support any territorial ambitions of any country in that region and I think we and Greece see the challenges the same way.

Question: In the last year and a half, two years, we have been hearing a lot about this strategic relationship between the two countries, [inaudible]. What should Greece expect from this strategic relationship that you’re talking about? That’s one. Second, in terms of the Balkans, where the Prime Minister was here recently and you will hear from her when she comes here. And the dialogue of civilizations, as opposed to the classic civilizations. How do you see that all with Greece there?

Ambassador Fried: As strategic partners with the United States, Greece should expect that we will consult with Greece on the key issues in the world today which affect Greece. Not just the issues that affect Greece, but all the issues, because all of these issues affect Greece. Greece is not an isolated little country. You’re a wealthy European country.

Your second question was?

Question: About the civilization --

Ambassador Fried: Oh. I don’t believe in a clash of civilizations.

Question: [inaudible].

Ambassador Fried: I know. Greece can contribute to this partly through its own example at having successfully integrated peoples of many backgrounds and many faiths. Greece can support this by making clear that democracy and democratic values are a better answer to questions of interfaith tolerance than intolerance, than either Islamaphobia or the Islamist extremist view, which posits a state of almost perpetual war between civilizations. I think Greece has a good role to play and I look forward to working with them.

Thank you.