Greek-German Bilateral Consultations – Statements of Alternate FM Droutsas and German Foreign Office State Secretary Born following their meeting

Mr. Droutsas

“There will be close cooperation and dialogue between the two countries’ financial agencies, with emphasis on the issue of investment, as well as the creation of a Greek development fund, with regard to which Germany will provide our country with very important know-how.”

“This cooperation with Germany is of key importance for our country – not just for symbolic reasons. Through this cooperation, the German government is expressing its full support for Greece – the Greek government – which is an indication of trust in, and the credibility of, our country.”

“For reasons of substance, as well, this cooperation is very important, because all of these sectors we have worked on and noted – where we have common interests and we can collaborate – are in the interest of both countries.”

“It is important in the current state of affairs for messages of support to be sent by European partners for the Greek economy, and I expressed our satisfaction at having Germany by our side in this effort.”

Dr. Born

“We carried out the wishes of Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Papandreou, based on what they agreed upon in Berlin on 5 March. […] This really is a collaboration that I think is unprecedented. […]And that is precisely why we want to move ahead as fast a possible, so that by the end of the year we can really have structural changes.”

Full transcript of the statements (translation):

Mr. Droutsas: I had a very warm and productive meeting with the State Secretary of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, Dr. Wolf-Ruthart Born, whom I would like to welcome publicly to our country.

Our meeting took place within the framework of the implementation of a joint communiqué that was signed by German Chancellor Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Papandreou during the latter’s visit to Berlin, on 5 March.

In their talks in March the two leaders designated certain special sectors of cooperation that were set down in the joint communiqué.

Today’s meeting was aimed at looking in further detail at these sectors. And we also identified a number of new sectors. There is a Joint Communiqué with all of the pertinent details regarding the issues we discussed, and today we decided upon the close cooperation that we are launching with Germany.

The issues we will collaborate on include the environment, energy and climate change; research, education, culture, tourism, and health and transport issues.

There will also be close cooperation and dialogue between the two countries’ financial agencies, with emphasis on the issue of investment, as well as the creation of a Greek development fund, with regard to which Germany will provide our country with very important know-how. There will also be close and very substantial cooperation in the sector of migration policy.

We also had political consultations with Mr. Born on issues of common interest – including developments in the European Union – as well as issues of particular interest to Greece, including our relations with Turkey. I had the opportunity to brief Mr. Born on yesterday’s visit to Istanbul and the Prime Minister’s meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.

We of course discussed developments in the Cyprus issue, as well as developments in the Balkans, regarding which I think our common position is the promotion of the European perspectives of the countries of the Western Balkans. As you know, in this area Greece recently submitted a new proposal and initiative: Agenda 2014.

Finally, I would like to say that our meeting today and the cooperation we have started marks the launching of really substantial cooperation with Germany on all of these issues. We, as the Foreign Ministry, have initiated this cooperation and are overseeing it, but the real work will of course be carried out by the Ministries competent on each given issue.

So there will be bilateral meetings and cooperation between the competent Ministries, and the Foreign Ministries will monitor the course of the implementation of all of these programmes.

For this purpose, Mr. Born has already proposed a further meeting by the end of the year, in Germany, so that we can look at the progress in the implementation of these programmes and continue to look at what other sectors we can cooperate in.

I would like to stress once again that this cooperation with Germany is of key importance for our country – not just for symbolic reasons. Through this cooperation, the German government is expressing its full support for Greece – the Greek government – which is an indication of trust in, and the credibility of, our country.

But for other substantial reasons, as well, this cooperation is very important, because all of these sectors we have worked on and noted – where we have common interests and we can collaborate – are in the interest of both countries.

As for the support programme that was finalized by the eurozone heads of state and government, I noted that with the stabilization of the Greek economy, overall support of Europe and the euro is also being achieved. I underscored that it is important in the current state of affairs for messages of support to be sent by European partners for the Greek economy, and I expressed our satisfaction at having Germany by our side in this effort.

So I would like once again to welcome Mr. Born and all of the members of the delegation to Athens and once again thank everyone from both countries who worked in recent months and today – at a very intensive pace – to complete the preparations for this close cooperation between our two countries. Thank you.

Dr. Born: First of all, I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Droutsas and the members of the delegation that welcomed us very much for the warm welcome and the talks that we had.

It is a great honor for me, first of all, to have the honor to visit the Acropolis Museum. And congratulations! Because I really am constantly receiving messages in Germany that you have done something wonderful with this museum.

And now, a thanks to the delegations of both countries, because they really carried out the wishes of Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Papandreou, based on what they agreed upon in Berlin on 5 March.

Now, as regards the procedure of today’s meeting, at least 10 Ministries from the German side participated. It is essentially a bilateral collaboration that concerns sectors such as energy, the environment, and mainly private initiatives that will have to be backed through a special fund that will be supported bilaterally.

This really is a collaboration that I think is unprecedented, because it concerns not only tourism, but also news media, school systems, energy, sciences and even environmental support. This is all unprecedented.

And that is precisely why we want to move ahead as fast a possible, so that by the end of the year we can really have the structural changes that will mark a real change and cooperation on the issues we have mentioned, so that we can really have some results.

The second part of our talks clearly concerned the Western Balkans, where we again had the opportunity to see that we are on a common course, with common positions.

So at this point I would like once again to thank the people who have accompanied me and the Greek delegation. And I invite you to come to Berlin by the end of this year.