Greek a. Foreign Minister Drutsas to EuroFora on Papandreu-Erdogan summit: Cyprus no bilateral issue

 Speaking to "EuroFora" at the CoE in Strasbourg shortly before the forthcoming Greco - Turkish Summit with Prime Ministers Papandreou and Erdogan on Friday in Athens, Greek alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, apparently dismissed speculations about eventual big decisions on Cyprus :  

- "As you know very well, Cyprus is not a Bilateral issue, between Greece and Turkey, but an International issue of foreign military Invasion and Occupation", Droutsas replied sharply to an "EuroFora"'s question (if this exceptional summit is expected to have important consequences also vis a vis Cyprus).

- Without excluding anything, Droutsas, however, added that, as things stand until today on this particular political issue, "the problem of Cyprus (apparently) needs much more Time" in order to be solved, by the concerned parties, i.e. the island's population and its own political representatives.

Droutsas also confirmed a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglou, at the sidelines of CoE's Committee of Ministers' session, today in Strasbourg, (Comp. also various other "EuroFora" News from the PanEuropean event, most already sent to Donors/Subscribers), before flying, later on, for Austria.

The two Foreign Ministers and other Senior Officials are expected to meet more extensively in Athens from Thursday, i.e. one Day before the George  Papandreou - Tayip Erdogan Summit, scheduled for Friday.

Droutsas, (who is known to be a close collaborator of Papandreou) spontaneously smiled when "EuroFora" reminded him the fact that, at this very same CoE's headquarters, a long time ago, when his precedessor the former Greek alternate Foreign Minister Georges Papandreou, back in the 1990ies met for the 1st time with his Turkish counterpart, the late Foreign Minister (and former CoE's MEP) Ismael Cem, the "event" was generally considered to be so "revolutionary", (because it broke the ice of a previously "Cold" period between the two countries since the 1974 Aegean and Cyprus' double crisis), that everyone considered it to be .. "Hot News" as such, even without knowing yet if the two politicians had really discussed and/or decided anything about important, substantial issues, or not...

However, paradoxically, this time, at least some Cyprus' politicians and several EU Officials expect from ... Turkey (and particularly its Prime Minister Erdogan) to try to convince the new Leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community living in the Territories of Cyprus still Occupied by Ankara's Army, to take a somewhat more "conciliatory" stance on the efforts to advance towards the ReUnification of the island, (already started in 2008-2009 by his precedessor, Talat, and Cyprus' President Christofias), instead of instisting with his reportedly "2 States" previous position.

In fact, by advancing further in the amelioration of bilateral relations between the Greek and the Turkish Government, this Papandreou - Erdogan May 2010 Summit is expected to prepare a better climate of trust which might facilitate, at least partially, an eventual advance, later-on, on the independent country, and CoE, UNO and EU Member Cyprus' own poliical issue.

Meanwhile, from another point of view, the new Leader of Greece's main Opposition party, Nouvelle Democratie (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Antonis Samaras, has reportedly warned that the recent negotiations of Prime Minister Papandreou (PASOK/+Chairman of the International Socialist) with the IMF and 16 other EuroZone Countries, EU Commissioner Oli Rehn, Central European Bank's President Trichet, etc. on a controversial but deemed necessary rescue plan to face today's grave consequencies of a galloping Public Debt since the 1980ies, aggravated on late 2009-2010 also by a Lending crisis which made much more difficult for the new Government to borrow money without paying excessive interest rates (Comp. earlier "EuroFora"s publications), "must not have any Political strings attached on National issues", as he said.

Samara's warning apparently referred, indirectly but surely, to the notorious fact that, already back in 1999-2001, the previous PASOK Government (of Costas Semitis, with Papandreou at the Foreign Ministry), reportedly had accepted a politically and financially dangerous "Deal", by agreeing to close its eyes to Turkey's controversial demand to become EU "Candidate" and start accession "Negotiations" with the EU, (stopping to raise any objections about Turkish threats at the Aegean Sea, the continuing Turkish Military Occupation of the northern part of Cyprus, Human Rights' issues, etc.), in exchange of an earlier than due and unprepared Greece's entry into the Monetary EuroZone, (i.e. without previously completing the necessary Economic Reforms), before the April 2000 National Elections in Greece, as several former Socialist Governments in the EU wished then (fex. Schroeder in Germany, in France Jospin, in Italy Amato, in the UK Blair, etc).

This move was followed, shortly afterwards, already since 2002 in Paris, by a controversial Draft Plan by UNO's Secretariat (particularly its former Political affairs' director, Mr Pendergast, a British Diplomat earlier Ambassador to Turkey), which notoriously failed in 2004, after a 75% majority of Greek Cypriot voters considered that its controversial 5th Version had been finalized in a way too close to Turkey's positions, only a few Months before Ankara asks the EU to decide to start "Accession Negotiations" (December 2004)...

Further developments in this same direction notoriously led to a Double EU Institutional and, afterwards, even Financial Crisis of the EU and of the EuroZone, respectively with the 3 "No" to 2005-2007 to EuroReferenda in France, Holland and Ireland on EU's Draft Constitution, notoriously because also of a large EU Citizens' refusal of Turkey's controversial EU bid, while, in the meantime, a growing Public Debt since the 1980ies, hidden at EU's official data,  led to the recent Financial mag mir, allegedly threatening now speculative attacks even against EuroZone.