Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas met here on Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying afterwards that he had expounded on Greece's positions on major national issues as well as Greece's will to help, through initiatives in its broader region and primarily in the Balkans but the Middle East as well.

In statements to the press after his meetings with Clinton and Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Droutsas said: "I met with the U.S. State Department's leadership, with Secretary Clinton and  Deputy Secretary of State Steinberg. It was a good opportunity for us to deepen our relations with the US again, to exchange views on all the issues of mutual interest, international developments, for us to also highlight the fact that Greece can play a role in these international developments, particularly in our direct neighborhood. We have a role to play in the Balkans, we have a role to play and to offer in the region of the Middle East and the Arab world. This is the image that we want to present to the international community again. An image of Greece with a presence, a voice, a real role in international developments.

"It was also an excellent opportunity for me to reiterate Greece's positions on the issues of particular Greek interest. On the issue of Cyprus we are again experiencing an important phase, in our relations with Turkey our effort for a new approach and cooperation with Turkey is known, on the issue of the name of FYROM Greece's will and desire for a solution is known, as well as the Greek national red line on this issue is. It is important that the US also knows our positions on all these issues as well, for us to repeat them so that they will also know our approach, always in the framework of cooperation between our two countries, cooperation on an equal basis between two allies and partners."

On the question of the visa waiver that was also raised, Droutsas said that "on the part of Greece we have already completed all our preparations and our commitments on this issue. The American side also confirmed this for us, that on the part of Greece we are ready. It is now an issue of internal procedures for the US that we shall also wait for the present."

Replying to a question on the issue of Cyprus, as the visit to Nicosia by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has just come to an end, the alternate foreign minister said "every initiative by the Secretary General of the UN in the direction of a solution to the issue of Cyprus is important and welcome. His presence in Cyprus is, of course, a very important step. We hope that this will contribute to the further process and particularly to contribute to that the Turkish Cypriot side will ascertain in which direction it must also contribute for a solution to the Cyprus issue."

Participating in the joint meeting with Clinton on the Greek side were ambassador to Washington, Vassilis Kaskarelis and the director of Droutsas's diplomatic office, Christos Panagopoulos, while in the extensive discussion with Deputy Secretary of State Steinberg, ambassadors Paraskevopoulos and Aliferi also participated.

After the meetings at the State Department, Droutsas went to the Capitol where he was to meet Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Howard Berman, and the Chair of the committee dealing with issues of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe, senator Benjamin Cardin.
Droutsas was then to make a brief visit to the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) and afterwards participate in a roundtable discussion at the Brookings foundation on the theme of "Greece: Challenges for the new government."

Droutsas interview to Greek-American daily

“There is no shadow cast over our relations with the United States. However, this does not mean that we are pleased with the current level of our relations,” Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas stressed in an interview published here by the NYC-based Greek-American daily “National Herald” (“Ethnikos Kirix”).
Droutsas pointed out that “it is my belief that there are broader fields of cooperation and more room for substantive progress in our relations.”
On the occasion of his first official visit to the United States since his appointment, Droutsas also referred to the role of the vigorous Greek-American community in the bilateral relations.
“We are a new government and this visit is a good opportunity to present our thoughts and perspective vis-à-vis the major issues that concern our region,” he added.

Expatriates' vote

Responding to a question on the voting rights of the Greeks living abroad, he pointed out:
“The voting rights of the Greeks abroad constitute a clear-cut intention and a crucial challenge for all of us. The specific issue is of pivotal importance for our government. A new legal framework is already being processed by the interior ministry and I hope that soon it will be presented for public consultation -- a groundbreaking method of democratic participation for Greece implemented by the new government.
"We should keep in mind that political consensus in Greece is necessary in order to be able to forge ahead. I hope that all sides will rise to the occasion and reciprocate to the demand expressed by Hellenism worldwide. It is very useful and important to us as a government to listen to the direct voice of our compatriots; listen to their experiences and have them incorporated into the definitive text of the draft law that will be tabled in parliament.”      

FYROM, Cyprus

Responding to a question on whether the FYROM, "name issue" and the Greek-Turkish relations constitute a “thorn” in the ties between Greece and the United States, Droutsas stated:
“We have a tradition of friendship and cooperation with the United States. Our shared values constitute a strong basis on which to build excellent cooperation relations. I think that what’s most important is the common will that exists at this moment of time, to have them promoted further. Therefore, any exchange of views can only serve as fertile ground for our relations. As regards the FYROM, name issue, the decision of the previous US administration to recognize the so-called constitutional name of the neighboring country has certainly further perplexed things and made a solution more distant.
"We have directly indicated this to the United States; Greece’s position is clear: We seek a name with a geographic qualifier to be used for all purposes, erga omnes. We believe that the United States can play a constructive role in this effort and for this reason it is important for them to have a clear view of the Greek positions.”