A vital political trip
Establishing a new balance in relations between Athens and Washington has been neither rapid nor painless. US State Department officials had become accustomed to George Papandreou’s perception of those relations during his lengthy term at the helm of Greek diplomacy – to such an extent, in fact, that they greeted the change of government with some caution. This caution became apparent with the indirect but clear refusal of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis to become flag bearers for Kofi Annan’s plan for Cyprus or to put pressure on Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos. The New Democracy government has made earnest endeavors to dispel the shadows, not only by diligently avoiding any challenge to the US, but also by frequently harmonizing with its policies. The result has not measured up to the Greek effort. It is for this reason that Molyviatis’s trip to the US this week is of vital political significance. Stable relations The Greek foreign minister will probably talk to his American counterpart Condoleezza Rice and advisors about the usual agenda: Greek-Turkish relations, Cyprus, the problem with FYROM, the future of Kosovo and developments in the Middle East. But his chief mission will be to dispel any clouds and establish stable bilateral relations. From this point of view, his formal meeting with President George W. Bush during the customary ceremony at the White House for Greek Independence Day is important. The departure of former US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller favors a more level-headed approach. Not only did he play a decisive part in the cancellation of Colin Powell’s visit to Athens during last year’s Olympic Games, but his behavior in general fanned anti-American feeling in Greece. That event fed into Washington’s fears and prejudices, sparked during former US President Bill Clinton’s turbulent visit to Athens. The outcome cast a cloud over bilateral relations. The first signs indicate that the diplomatic style of new American Ambassador Charles Ries is very different and has contributed to a relaxation of tension. This will help remove a contradictory attitude among the majority of opinion-makers in Greece. On the one hand, they see the visit of a leading American as a political challenge, while they also see the fact that Condoleezza Rice did not include Greece in her recent trip to Europe and Turkey as a political demotion. The relaxation of tension does not, of course, mean that the two sides will cease to hold diverging views on certain crucial issues in the region. In any case, Greek-American relations have been operating under the shadow of such divergences for decades. But in reality, Athens resists in practice only when its vital national interests are at stake, and not always then. On issues that are of major importance to the US, Greece avoids raising obstacles or even voicing disagreement. Nonetheless, Molyviatis’s mission is far from easy. There are indications that the Americans are now more willing to respond and contribute to the establishment of a new balance. But that does not mean they will be less demanding. The biggest hurdle is Cyprus. In view of the reintroduction of Kofi Annan’s plan after elections in the breakaway statelet of northern Cyprus (on April 17), the State Department will exert maximum pressure on Cyprus. In all likelihood, it will ask the Greek premier to put pressure on Papadopoulos. No problems are expected with respect to Greek-Turkish relations, as Washington has long since achieved its goal of making that dispute the subject of bilateral talks. Its apparent intention to get independence for Kosovo on the road has not met with Athens’s approval, but this disagreement will not affect bilateral relations. Molyviatis will ask the Americans to put pressure on Skopje to accept a compound name for FYROM. The answer he is most likely to get is that the US will accept any name mutually agreed upon. For the moment, it is not clear whether Condoleezza Rice will ask her Greek counterpart not to stand in the way of FYROM’s joining NATO and the European Union. Combating terrorism The schedule of the bilateral talks will certainly not omit the issue of combating terrorism. The smooth hosting of the Olympic Games may have fended off talk of terrorist attacks, but subsequent bomb attacks allowed the Americans to express their concern and urge Greek services to take more dynamic action. Without underestimating the difficulties, the Greek Foreign Ministry expects tangible results from Molyviatis’s visit. Naturally, Washington will not change its policy on issues that affect Greece. The question at this stage is to dispel the shadows and reestablish direct channels of communication, which will in turn help build a climate of sincere cooperation. As sources in Athens say, apart from the divergences, there are also many convergences, which of course acquire greater importance from the fact that in a few months Greece will become a Security Council member. And this is at a time when US-Turkish relations are undergoing a crisis.
