Greece`s presentation by the Greek Embassy and the Press Office at the European Information Centre in Warsaw (19/3/2010)

A presentation of Greece by the Greek Embassy and the Press Office in Warsaw took place at the European Information Centre of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19^th March 2010 (www.cie.gov.pl).
Various aspects of Greece were presented by the Deputy Head of Mission, Paraskevi Charitidou, and the Press Attache, Maria Mondelou.
The audience, 70  students of higher secondary schools of Warsaw, was informed about Greece`s geostrategic position, its political system, the participation in international organizations, such as the EU and the NATO, the Greek Presidencies in the EU.
A brief presentation of the Greek history, mainly during the modern and contemporary period, was followed by characteristic examples of Greek culture, in the fields of literature, poetry, music, theatre and cinema.
Views of the New Acropolis Museum were presented, as well as Greece`s request for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles.
During the discussion, the students were informed about Greece`s foreign policy, the situation of the Greek economy, tourism, the educational system and the scholarships offered for foreign students. They were, also, particularly interested about the image of Poles in Greece and their life.
 The European Information Centre, that invited the Greek Embassy to make the presentation of Greece, organizes annually discussions with representatives of the EU member states.

Centrum Informacji Europejskiej  

Spotkanie z przedstawicielkami Ambasady Grecji

 19 marca 2010 r. w Centrum Informacji Europejskiej MSZ odbyło się spotkanie uczniów XL Liceum Ogólnokształcącego im. S. Żeromskiego oraz LXXV Liceum Ogólnokształcącego im. Jana III Sobieskiego w Warszawie z przedstawicielkami Ambasady Grecji. Ambasadę reprezentowały Pani Paraskevi Charitidou, zastępca szefa misji oraz Pani Maria Mondelou, Pierwszy Sekretarz w Biurze Prasowym Ambasady Grecji w Warszawie.
Prelegentki omówiły historię i system polityczny Grecji oraz aktualne działania Grecji w Unii Europejskiej. Opowiedziały również o warunkach studiowania w tym kraju i stypendiach dostępnych dla polskich studentów. Podczas prezentacji został wyświetlony krótki film o Atenach.
Po wykładzie miała miejsce dyskusja, w czasie której przedstawicielki Ambasady odpowiedziały na liczne pytania publiczności dotyczące stereotypów o Polakach, greckiej kultury, popularnych Greków, kryzysu gospodarczego, relacji z Turcją, aktualnego sporu między Grecją i Byłą Jugosłowiańską Republiką Macedonii przed Międzynarodowym Trybunałem Sprawiedliwości oraz doświadczeń czterech prezydencji Grecji w Radzie Unii Europejskiej.
W spotkaniu uczestniczyło ponad 70 osób.
(Polish text by www.cie.gov.pl)

The OSCE on a new path

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Political Declaration Adopted Foreign ministers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 56 participating states charted the way ahead for the OSCE-anchored debate on the future of European security known as the Corfu Process in a decision and a Ministerial Declaration adopted yesterday after a two-day Ministerial Council held in Athens (December 1-2). “The Corfu Process will be taken forward by our Permanent Representatives to the OSCE in Vienna, in accordance with the decision we are adopting today. We remain committed to provide strong political impetus to the Corfu Process, and we are looking forward to reassessing its progress in 2010, in the format and level that we will deem appropriate, taking into consideration the results we achieve,” it is stated in the Declaration, which is the first to be adopted since 2002. Athens Ministerial Council (dedicated webpage) Turning a New Page Commenting on the Ministerial Council at a press conference, held at the end of the meeting, Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office George Papandreou referred to a new page in the Organisation’s history. “We have committed ourselves in a joint document on how to face common challenges,” he said noting that, Kazakhstan’s task -which is assuming the Presidency of the OSCE for the next year-, is difficult. But as the Greek premier stressed, “we proved today that if we want we can. The process can revive political dialogue and the tangible result was consensus.”

ON THE SIDELINES

Meeting with Russian FM The strategic nature of Greek-Russian relations and their excellent level was reaffirmed during a meeting in Athens on Wednesday between Prime Minister George Papandreou and visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, held on the sidelines of the OSCE Council in Athens.Papandreou accepted a formal invitation to visit Moscow in early 2010. Papandreou and Lavrov discussed bilateral relations in all sectors, ranging from energy to culture and from regional cooperation to relations with the EU and NATO, and signed a 2010-2012 joint action plan to be renewed every two years. Meeting with Turkish FM Prime Minister George Papandreou also met with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, with both sides citing closer cooperation in all levels. The potential for the adoption of practical measures to boost cooperation of the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey in 2010 was also discussed at the meeting. Davutoglu spoke positively of Greece’s target for the EU integration of the western Balkans in 2014, and he confirmed Turkey’s intent for closer bilateral cooperation. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Bilateral Relations Greece- Turkey

FYROM Name Issue

Athens dismisses latest quip for ‘double-name’ solution

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis dismissed yesterday (July 21), statements made by the prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Nikola Gruevski that Skopje’s ‘natural position’ is a “double-name formula” to overcome the thorny name issue.”   This statement shows that Mr. Gruevski has not realised the message of the international community, which is clear and unanimous: for the sake of his country’s and his people’s Euro-Atlantic course, a mutually acceptable solution to this issue must be achieved; a composite name with a geographical qualifier, erga omnes,” the FM underlined in a press release.  Greek News Agenda: Greece has a strong case on the name issue

International Meetings in Corfu

♦ Corfu Process Launched
The informal meeting of OSCE foreign ministers on the Greek island of Corfu concluded yesterday (28.6) with the launch of the “Corfu Process” to tackle European security challenges with concrete steps to restore confidence and prepare the ground for the ministers’ next meeting in Athens in December. “We have agreed on the need for an open, sustained, wide-ranging and inclusive dialogue on security and concurred that the OSCE is a natural forum to anchor this dialogue, because it is the only regional organization bringing together all states from Vancouver to Vladivostok on an equal basis,” said Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Dora Bakoyannis.
• Karamanlis’ Address 
Addressing the informal ministerial meeting Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis noted that “[…] history teaches us that crises are often the springboards for improvement. The Chinese word for crisis is made of two characters: one means danger, the other means opportunity. We have to grasp the opportunity; we have to overcome the danger. As he stressed, Greece is convinced that a sincere, inclusive and open-ended dialogue is the first step in order to restore confidence and trust among the participating states and enhance the collective capacity to solve old problems and address new challenges. Karamanlis underlined the significance of the Corfu meetings, noting that it was a big success of Greece’s foreign policy.
♦ NATO-Russia Council
Twenty-nine foreign ministers of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) also gathered on Corfu on June 27 – the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the crisis in Georgia, last summer- to review the current state of relations and discuss the way forward for the Council. The ministers agreed to open the door for renewing military cooperation in the framework of the NRC.  The meeting was chaired by the outgoing NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who said afterwards that “the NRC which has been in the neutral stand for almost a year, is now back in gear.”  There are still “fundamental differences” between the Alliance and Russia on the Caucasus issues, […], though they do not constitute a reason for discontinuation of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) talks on a broad range of security threats, he said. On his part, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called for a return to the founding principles of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) and said that the Council convened after a long time, with positive results and a sincere exchange of views. On Russia’s decisions regarding the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Lavrov said that they were “irreversible,” but added that the meeting had been useful in averting new clashes.
• Bilateral Meetings
On the sidelines of the Corfu meetings, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis met with US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.  They spoke of a “new air” in Greece-US relations and signed two accords: a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a cooperation agreement on tackling serious crime, which pave the way to Greece’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Programme. Karamanlis also had a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on the sidelines of the NATO-Russia meeting, and the two leaders discussed illegal migration, the establishment of an EU coastguard, Greek-Italian cooperation in the energy sector, with the focus on the Turkey-Greece-Italy natural gas pipeline and the South Stream natural gas pipeline. Furthermore, Bakoyannis met for the first time with her Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Bilateral Relations Greece – USA & Greece – Italy

Greece / Corfu High-Level Meetings

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The Greek Chairmanship of the OSCE is hosting an informal meeting of OSCE foreign ministers on June 27 and June 28, on the Greek island of Corfu.  The Corfu ministerial meeting will bring together all 56 participating states to the same table for a dialogue related to security in Europe and OSCE’s role. Corfu will also play host to the NATO-Russia Council meeting -the first one since the crisis in Georgia last summer- scheduled to take place on June 27. The meeting will focus on revitalizing the Council with the objective of developing its activities and improving NATO-Russian relations.  Among those attending the meetings will be the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, Javier Solana, the EU Commissioner on External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Secretaries General of  NATO and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The US delegation will be headed by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and the Russian by FM Sergey Lavrov.

Greek PM Meets with Outgoing NATO Secretary General

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met on Thursday (May 14) in Athens with the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.  Pointing out that during Scheffer’s term the alliance was enlarged twice, while in the field of operations NATO was called to meet very demanding challenges, Karamanlis praised the efforts to promote the Alliance’s relations with Russia as well as the progress made in relation to Ukraine and Georgia and the countries of the ‘Partnership for Peace’, the ‘Mediterranean Dialogue’ and the ‘Istanbul Initiative.’  On his part, the NATO SecGen stressed that “Greece’s participation in NATO’s operations and missions was and still is very important.” He also referred to energy and internet security issues as well as to the participation of Greek Navy frigates in the efforts to combat sea piracy.  De Hoop Scheffer also met with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and National Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis.

OSCE Chair at Munich Security Conference

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis presided over a panel on “NATO, Russia, Oil, Gas and the Middle East: The future of European security,” at the main plenary session of the 45th Munich Security Conference, where she emphasized Greece’s willingness to move forward with the dialogue on European security issues. Europe faces common threats and security challenges, and the OSCE remains the forum for dialogue on security issues, she said. “There appears to be widespread consensus that, to say the least, we need to engage in a dialogue on security issues. It goes without saying that – provided that there is agreement by all 56 OSCE participating states – Greece stands ready to organise meetings at any level that could launch, or more generally facilitate, such a dialogue,” Bakoyannis noted. In her speech, she touched upon several points, including European security, common interests and common values – such as respecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, observing territorial integrity, refraining from the threat or use of force – as well as the continuation of OSCE work in Georgia. Lastly, she underlined the considerable advantage of such meetings, namely that the participants have the possibility of “speaking far more openly than in ordinary forums.” Bakoyannis is in Tirana today as part of her Balkan countries’ tour, where she will be meeting with Albanian President Bamir Topi, Prime Minister Sali Berisha and her counterpart Lulzim Basha. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Speech of FM Dora Bakoyannis at the 45th Munich Security Conference

OSCE: Greek Chairmanship Concept Paper

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   OSCE: Greek Chairmanship Concept Paper  The political principles guiding Greek foreign policy coincide fully with the OSCE’s core principles and commitments: full respect for international law and the rules of multilateral diplomacy, seeking the best possible convergence and consensus, reliability and sincerity. Greece is convinced that there cannot be a lasting peace in the wider European region as long as we continue to view our relations through the lens of a zero-sum game. Bearing this in mind, the first priority of the Greek Chairmanship will be to forge consensus among the participating states. Consensus should be considered not as a limitation but as the foundation on which cooperative security is based. Enhanced cooperation with the OSCE Mediterranean and Asian Partners for Co-operation will be among the priorities of the Greek Chairmanship. Greece will strive to further deepen the active involvement of Partners in jointly addressing global security challenges through effective democratic dialogue and practical cooperation. Finally, the Greek CiO will promote and develop the co-operation of the OSCE with other international organizations and institutions, which include in addition to the UN, also the Council of Europe, the EU and NATO, as well as other regional organizations, on a case by-case basis. Greek News Agenda: OSCE Chair: Synergy, Symmetry, Strategy; Greek OSCE Chairmanship’s website: www.osce.org/cio; OSCE: Inauguration of Greek Chairmanship 

Greece: Responding to the Caucasus Crisis

(GREEK  NEWS AGENDA)           From the first moment, the crisis in Caucasus has been of great concern to Greece. A precautionary activation of the Crisis Management Unit was deemed necessary in order to tackle the problems which have arisen from the clashes in South Ossetia and make provision for the citizens of Greek origin residing in the area. Within this framework, Greece dispatched a humanitarian aid shipment to Georgia and contributed to the cause of relieving the turbulent area with 100,000€ through the UNHCR. The OSCE, which has also addressed the matter, decided to send 20 international observers and Greece, -in viewof holding 2009’s chairmanship– is ready to assume full responsibility arising in the light of the current developments.  During the extraordinary meeting of the 26 NATO members which took place on August 19 in Brussels, Foreign Affairs Minister Dora Bakoyannis stated that “the NATO-Russia dialogue is very important” and that “Greece-along with many other countries-has been in favour of the continuation of this dialogue at all levels”.  South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s recent succession movement from Georgia has prompted an expedient reaction of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bakoyannis clarified that within both the NATO Council and the Council of the European Union, Greece’s foreign policy abides to the principles of territorial integrity and added that Greece endorses the French presidency’s statement condemning the movement.  Today, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will participate in the European Union’s special summit on the Caucasus crisis. Moscow’s relations with the international community are expected to top the summit’s agenda. Before leaving for Brussels, Bakoyannis reiterated Greece’s interest for “a common European position regarding the framework of EU-Russia relations”, “given that Moscow is an ‘important partner’ for Europe”.

Αrtykuł MSZ Grecji i Polski w Gazecie „Le Figaro” (28/7)

Gazeta „Le Figaro” opublikowała pod tytułem „Na rzecz silniejszej transatlantyckiej relacji” wspólny artykuł Minister Spraw Zagranicznych Grecji, Pani Dory Bakoyiannis oraz Ministra Spraw Zagranicznych RP Pana Radosława Sikorskiego.

MSZ Grecji i Polski odrzucają dylemat „niekompatybilności rozwoju europejskiej obrony z zachowaniem transatlantyckiej relacji oraz NATO” oraz utrzymują, że „silniejsza Europa oznacza silniejsze NATO, silniejsza Europa oznacza, że ciężar pomiędzy nią a USA rozkłada się bardziej efektywnie i równomiernie, silniejsza Europa oznacza silniejsze transatlantyckie partnerstwo”.  „Relacja transatlantycka opiera się na trwałych historycznych i kulturowych związkach … i głównie z wyboru stanowi konieczność”, podkreślają Ministrowie obu państw. Kończąc wyrażają przekonanie, że prezydencja francuska nada nowy impuls w tym kierunku.

Greece: Waking the Dragon

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias arrived in Beijing on Sunday, for a five-day visit to China. Papoulias, who has already met with President Hu Jintao and the premier Wen Jiambao, commented on China’s “tremendous economic and political role” and was very satisfied to see bilateral relations reaching “the highest levels of cordiality and friendship”. Bilateral agreements focused on matters of justice, foreign aid cooperation, tourism, culture, international affairs such as climate change, as well as on educational issues. 

The NATO Summit: Aftermath

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis briefed President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias today on the outcome of last week’s NATO Summit in Bucharest in which Greece, backed by other countries, did not consent to extend an invitation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to start accession negotiations for eventually joining the Alliance, pending the name issue. Greece’s conditional position was reflected in the Summit Declaration issued by NATO. “I believe that conditions will be soon be ripe to resume negotiations under the auspices of UN in order to find a mutually acceptable solution” the premier said in a friendly message to FYROM’s people and political leaders.

NATO Summit: A Friendly Message to Neighbours

GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    Greece invited the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) last night to return to the negotiating table and settle once and for all the long standing dispute on the name issue between the two countries, after NATO postponed extending an invitation to FYROM to begin accession talks to join the Alliance until the issue of the name is resolved. “We agreed that an invitation to FYROM will be extended as soon as a mutually accepted solution to the name issue has been reached. We encourage the negotiations to be resumed without delay and expect them to be concluded as soon as possible,” the Bucharest Summit Declaration says.  

The Name Issue of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on NATO’s Agenda

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  “Nobody likes vetoes,” but “the intransigence and nationalism on behalf of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which is interwoven with the name issue, does not allow us to take the same positive stance as in the case of Croatia and Albania,”  Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis stated, addressing the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, yesterday. The meeting agenda focused mainly on the enlargement of the Alliance and in particular, on the candidateship of Croatia, Albania and FYROM, paving the way for the NATO Bucharest Summit, on April 2-3. Placing emphasis on the importance of unanimity, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer made clear that “NATO’s door is open” but “there’s an ally, Greece and a non-ally; FYROM….NATO works by consensus.” Bakoyannis was prompt to announce that “there is still time for an applicable solution,” therefore, Greece will “continue to work to this end in a constructive spirit,” and within the framework of the UN Special Mediator Matthew Nimetz’s efforts. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Statements of FM Dora Bakoyannis following the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Minister; Greece and NATO;  Athens News Agency: Greece Refuses FYROM’s NATO Accession Bid; NATO: Main topics discussed at the informal meeting

Name Issue of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Referring to to the neighbouring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and the possibility of failure to resolve the thorny “name issue“, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis warned on Friday that “no solution means no invitation”. This would mean that should the issue not be resolved, FYROM is not to receive an invitation for membership in NATO and the EU, where Greece is a veto-wielding member. 
“Without a mutually acceptable solution, there can be no relations like allies; there can be no invitation to the neighbouring country for participation in the same alliance,” Karamanlis stated in Parliament.
UN mediator Matthew Nimetz is expected to invite both parties for a new round of talks, soon.

Greek position on Kosovo

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis stated in Brussels on Monday that the aim, regarding Kosovo, is the “safeguarding of stability and security in the region”, and commenting on Athens’ position she said that “Greece will make its decisions at a later stage.” Speaking to reporters at the end of a European Union General Affairs and External Relations meeting, Bakoyannis said that the ’27’ agreed, after difficult consultations, on a text of “common positions” regarding the Kosovo issue. She added that “Greece always believed and continues to believe that the best solutions to differences and problems drive from mutually acceptable arrangements, through dialogue and consultations, and not by unilateral actions and faits accomplis.”

Poland Signals Doubts About Planned U.S. Missile-Defense Bases on Its Territory

New York Times / By JUDY DEMPSEY / Published: January 7, 2008

BERLIN — Signaling a tougher position in negotiations with the United States on a European antiballistic-missile shield system, Poland’s foreign minister says his country’s new government is not prepared to accept American plans to deploy missile-defense bases in Poland until all costs and risks are considered.

Poland raises stakes for U.S. missile shield

By Gabriela Baczynska and Adam Jasser
WARSAW, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Poland’s new centre-right government will not agree to host a U.S. anti-missile site unless Washington commits to boosting Polish air defences, Defence Minister Bogdan Klich told Reuters.

Ραγίζει η «αντιπυραυλική ασπίδα»;

(DEUTSCHE WELLE)   Η κυβερνητική αλλαγή στην Πολωνία, που έφερε στην πρωθυπουργία τον φιλελεύθερο Ντόναλντ Τουσκ, σηματοδοτεί πιθανότατα αλλαγή πλεύσης και στο πεδίο της εξωτερικής πολιτικής. Η νέα πολιτική ηγεσία δεν δείχνει διατεθειμένη να ακολουθήσει την πορεία που χάραξαν οι αδελφοί Κατσίνσκι. Και η αλλαγή αυτή αποκτά ιδιαίτερο ενδιαφέρον ενόψει της συμφωνίας με την Ουάσιγκτον για την εγκατάσταση μέρους του συστήματος της αμερικανικής αντιπυραυλικής ασπίδας στην Πολωνία.