Φρέσκια ενημέρωση για τα Βαλκάνια από το State Dept, με πολύ σοβαρά θέματα
Αναρτήθηκε από τον/την olympiada στο Αυγούστου 10, 2013
QUESTION: Ambassador, I’m Cvetin Chilimanov from the Macedonian Information Agency.
AMBASSADOR REEKER: Yeah.
AMBASSADOR REEKER: Yeah.
QUESTION: Well, as you said, you mentioned your cooperation with the European diplomacy, and the history, it’s obvious to everybody that during your term as Deputy Assistant Secretary, there has been very good cooperation between Washington and Brussels, complementing each other, supporting each other, and that’s where some spectacular achievements have been made regarding (inaudible) Serbia and Croatia.
My question is on January 1st, a Balkan country will assume the rotating presidency of the
European Union; Greece will have six months to dictate part of the agenda in Brussels. Do you believe that these issues we are discussing here will be helped by the fact that Greece will be in charge of the rotating presidency, especially considering that its record is not very good? It single-handedly holds back the Macedonian opening of EU talks and NATO membership. It does not recognize Kosovo, which I presume will also be an issue during these six months. Trying to sustain and implement this agreement will be a big issue in Brussels. There is even now talk of these meetings between Samaras and the upcoming Albanian Prime Minister and this hopeful oil slick, which – oil field, which might be warming up from there. (Laughter.)
European Union; Greece will have six months to dictate part of the agenda in Brussels. Do you believe that these issues we are discussing here will be helped by the fact that Greece will be in charge of the rotating presidency, especially considering that its record is not very good? It single-handedly holds back the Macedonian opening of EU talks and NATO membership. It does not recognize Kosovo, which I presume will also be an issue during these six months. Trying to sustain and implement this agreement will be a big issue in Brussels. There is even now talk of these meetings between Samaras and the upcoming Albanian Prime Minister and this hopeful oil slick, which – oil field, which might be warming up from there. (Laughter.)
AMBASSADOR REEKER: No slicks. We don’t – (laughter) –
QUESTION: And also, not to mention the relations with Turkey. Turkey has also stalled in its EU integration talks and presumably will ask for – to collect – for clarification on its role in the future U.S.-EU trade agreement. This is – these are all issues which Greece does not have a good record on. So do you see that the fact that one of our own will be sort of in charge in Brussels will (inaudible)?
AMBASSADOR REEKER: Well, one of the great things about discussions like this is that it gives you, the participants, the journalists, an opportunity to present your views. I don’t accept always the premise of many of your questions necessarily. I focus on what the United States is trying to do in terms of our policy.
Indeed, geography is something that cannot be changed. Some would suggest it’s the ultimate equalizer, because it creates the reality, and I think that’s a point that, for instance, the leaders in Kosovo and Serbia have understood. Countries in this region will always be neighbors; that cannot be changed. And that’s why we encourage all of those in the region to work together constructively to build trust between and among each other. And of course, that’s important in the Macedonia-Greece relationship as well.
In my portfolio, speaking in terms of my direct engagement, Greece is not part of the region, the way we divide things. So I don’t engage directly with Greece, but I often talk to Greek colleagues about the Balkans more broadly, and indeed, as you point out, geography means that Greece has true interests in seeing stability in the region – stability to its north and with its neighbors. There is a real desire, as Greece deals with its huge economic challenges, which was very much the focus of the discussions in Washington, as I indicated, that you want to make sure you have a stable and successful neighborhood as well. There’s nothing that will disrupt economic reform and economic progress as much as instability in the neighborhood.
So those are all things that we promote. Indeed, we have encouraged countries including Greece to engage and participate. Our cooperation with the EU institutions – with the European Commission, with the External Action Service – will continue on all of the key issues in the region. EU internal politics and the work of the rotating presidency, how it engages with the institutions, is something for them to focus on. But it is, indeed, an opportunity to play a constructive role.
And we would like to look back at the Thessaloniki Agenda, something that Greece promoted, and I think laid out a very positive direction broadly for the greater Balkan region, and that meshes very well with our goal of seeing all of the countries of the Western Balkans joining many of its neighbors as members of the key institutions of the Euro-Atlantic family, namely the European Union itself and NATO, and the processes of integrating into those organizations, we believe, are very positive. This is what we can leave behind – that is, membership and the process going through toward membership, which results in the key reforms, which are necessary in creating greater stability, but indeed, focusing on economic stability, economic growth and prosperity.
Αυτή η καταχώριση έγινε στις Αυγούστου 10, 2013 στις 7:20 μμ υπό ΕΠΙΚΑΙΡΟΤΗΤΑ. Μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε τα όποια σχόλια σε αυτό το άρθρο μέσω RSS 2.0 ροή. Μπορείτε αφήστε σχόλιο, ή trackback από τον δικό σας ιστότοπο.
Εθνικιστής είπε
Ο Κάρατζιτς πρόσφατα είπε προσοχή Έλληνες!
Μπορεί και να μην το είπε τυχαία!
Δάφνη είπε
Άκης είπε
Εθνικιστής είπε
Στέλιος είπε
Καλά θα έκανε να πάρει μαθήματα από το σκοπιανό σκουλίκι, που όμως -όπως φαίνεται- κατέχει άριστα το θέμα…
Όχι βέβαια ότι ο ambassador reeker είναι κάνα τέρας ευφυίας, αλλά απάντησε πάνω στη πεπατημένη γραμμή του state dept., που δείχνει πως λειτουργεί ένα συγκροτημένο κράτος (είτε μας αρέσει είτε όχι).
Αν στη θέση του βρισκόταν το ον που υπουργεύει στο εξωτερικών, οι απαντήσεις του θα ήταν μάλλον ανθελληνικότερες…
Δικερως είπε
(Εχεις,βεβαια,διαψευστει εδω και μερες,κρεμα.)
Χαχαχα επεσες στην περιπτωση ρε.
Αντε και περαστικα.
Στέλιος είπε
Καίτοι παπαγαλάκι της συγγρού, αγνοείς ότι υπεξ είναι ο βουβουζέλος! Να το κοιτάξουν οι χρηματοδότες σου
Τι μου μοστράρεις τον αβραμό; Λόγω κεκτημένης ταχύτητας; Ααρών εσύ αβρααμ αυτος….
Anyway! Όσο είσαι στα όρια του χαχαμίκου, μας διασκεδάζεις (άσε που σε κάθε post σου οι χρυσαυγίτες ανοίγουν σαμπάνιες). Όταν αποφασίσεις ότι μπορείς να γίνεις και σάυλωκ, θα αρχίσω να σε παίρνω στα σοβαρά…
Άντε και σαλόμ σαλόμ ααρών honey