MEETING BETWEEN BRITISH
AND GREEK FOREIGN MINISTERS

EDITED TRANSCRIPT OF DOORSTEP INTERVIEW GIVEN BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, ROBIN COOK, AND THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER, GEORGE PAPANDREOU, LONDON, THURSDAY 13 JANUARY 2000

FOREIGN SECRETARY:
Good Afternoon. George Papandreou and I have had another opportunity for an exchange of views on the region and on the future for Europe and tonight we will be appearing together on the platform at a public meeting to discuss how Europe has developed since 1989 and how we take forward the momentous process for Europe that was started on that occasion. I have not managed to get out of George what he is actually going to say tonight, but since I speak first that is all right.

This afternoon we have focused on two main areas of common interest. First of all how we follow through the great achievement at Helsinki where we both opened the door for Turkey to have a new relationship with the European Union and recognised it as a candidate country for the European Union membership, and where we also achieved language on Cyprus which made it clear that whilst the European Union wants to see a resolution to the division of the island, that is not a precondition of membership of the European Union. I believe that those two decisions taken together at Helsinki represented a great step forward towards resolving some of the long standing tensions within the region. And we could not have made that progress if it had not been for the determination and the courage and the skill of the government of Greece, and particularly its Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, who played such a part in getting that outcome. Now we must build on that step forward and in particular we both want to see the current UN process on the division of Cyprus taken forward to a successful conclusion that will give us what we want to see, which is an end to the division of the island.

The other issue on which we exchanged views was the position within the western Balkans. We discussed the recent statement by the opposition in Serbia and how we can take forward our joint agenda which is to enable the Serb people to create a democratic society which is open to the outside world and respects its obligations to the international community. Europe has repeatedly made it clear that we are willing to work with such a government in Serbia and to make sure that we will assist it in further integration towards the European Union by opening up trade and economic assistance to it, but we do first of all need to see the political reform in Serbia that gives us a government with whom we can work to those objectives.

I think we had a very useful exchange of views. It is a sign of the strength of the relationship between our two countries that I think this is the second time in, what, about three months George since I welcomed you to London. I very much welcome that and I am glad that Britain and Greece have such a good sound relationship and a position of mutual respect and trust.

MR PAPANDREOU:
It is a great pleasure to be here again with you and indeed it is a sign of our very close cooperation which we have had over the past years, but I would say even more so, deeper relations over the past months both within the European Union and also with issues of bilateral concern for our region and particularly the region of south eastern Europe.

I want to say that the important decision in Helsinki has created not only a new climate but an important new political framework within which we need to carry forward new initiatives and we will do so.

I want to stress my appreciation, and our Government’s appreciation, for the work that the British Government has done, and particularly you Robin, to help in this process. Your suggestions and proposals were crucial and in fact critical in the final decision we made in Helsinki which allowed to create a compromise where we all were happy, and when I say all I don’t mean simply us within the European Union but Greece, also Turkey and Cyprus. So I think it has been a success and we can build on this, so thank you again.

QUESTION:
There have been reports of confidence building measures that the EU could play in Cyprus, taking over running Varosha or helping fund Turkish-Cypriot communities. Did you discuss those today and what sort of chances to do those kind of projects have?

MR PAPANDREOU:
These are ideas that have been around for I would say many years, so I assume that every time there is new movement on Cyprus these come back to the fore. We did discuss the upcoming negotiations, the second round and later on the third round, and the prospects that we see on these negotiations. Some movement that exists, we can’t be too optimistic after 25 years but yet we do have a new situation which does provide new venues and new hope for a rapprochement. One thing that we did talk about and I particularly stressed was the need to see how we can get the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to work together on the non-government level, the sort of people to people diplomacy which we think can be crucial.