2008 Speeches and Articles
Ambassador Speckhard Visits Thessaloniki: Statements
Statement to the Thessaloniki Media by Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard
City Hall, Thessaloniki, Greece
February 7, 2008
Thank you, Mr. Mayor [Vassilis Papageorgopoulos]. It is really an honor to receive your hospitality here. As I mentioned to you in our meeting, it really is special for me to be in Thessaloniki because I know what an important city this has been throughout history as a center for commerce, for culture, and for education. I am very pleased with the cooperation between our government and your city to try to promote and broaden mutual understanding between our people, to promote cultural exchange and educational exchanges -- and our common interest in sports -- but also, equally important, to promote trade and investment. I look forward to working with you and your administration over the years to come to help strengthen our cooperation in all these areas.
I was struck by something you said at the beginning of our meeting which touched my heart. That is that our two countries share a basic common belief in democracy and the fundamental values for human. In spite sometimes in differences of policies from one year to the next, the fundamental values have never changed and they have been the same and have bound our people together. So I believe based on these fundamental values and shared beliefs we have a good opportunity for further cooperation and support to help Thessaloniki grow and continue to develop. So again, thank you to the people of Thessaloniki for your hospitality.
Joint Press Availability with Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Margaritis Tzimas and Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard
Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece
February 7, 2008
Minister Tzimas: Είχαμε μία ειλικρινή συζήτηση με τον κύριο Πρέσβη των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών πάνω σε ζητήματα ανάπτυξης, πολιτισμού και προοπτικών της Βόρειας Ελλάδας. Διαπίστωσα ένα ειλικρινές πλαίσιο που μπορεί να αναπτύξει ο κύριος Πρέσβης βοηθώντας στην ενίσχυση των δεσμών φιλίας και συνεργασίας μεταξύ της Ελλάδος και των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών. Συμφωνήσαμε να αναπτύξουμε ένα συγκεκριμένο πρόγραμμα για τον πολιτισμό, πολιτιστικών ανταλλαγών. Ανακοίνωσα στον κύριο Πρέσβη το επενδυτικό πλαίσιο που υπάρχει στη Μακεδονία και τη Θράκη θεωρώντας πως αποτελεί πρόκληση για τους αμερικανούς επιχειρηματίες.
Ambassador Speckhard: As the Minister said, we had a good discussion today. I first highlighted how much I appreciated northern Greece as a real center of commerce, culture, education and now tourism as well. We talked a lot about ways we could cooperate and help promote further investment and trade between northern Greece and the United States. We talked about building and strengthening cultural exchanges and cooperation, in both directions. We talked about the importance of education and opportunities here for educational exchanges. We talked about the rich opportunities for this region as an energy hub for all of Europe and as a key commercial center. We also highlighted the importance that northern Greece plays for stability in the whole region, and welcomed the role Greece has been playing in ensuring the principles of democracy and human rights, which really found their birthplace here in Greece, are spread throughout the broader region. We are committed to continuing to work together on the basis of the values and principles that our two countries share.
Reporter: Three things we’d like to ask. What about the Visa [Waiver Program], what about Skopje, and third [what] about Kosovo?
Well, I am very hopeful on the issue of the Visa Waiver Program as we just had our second delegation in Athens negotiating on this issue. If the negotiations continue to go well, as they have been, I am hopeful by the end of the year we will be able to implement the Visa Waiver Program.
On the name issue, I am very sensitive to this issue and how important it is for northern Greece as it represents part of your cultural identity and heritage but I am also hopeful that Greece and Skopje will take the opportunity of the upcoming NATO summit to push forward and find a solution to this issue that will help promote stability in the region. That will be good for northern Greece. I think actually northern Greece stands to benefit the most when this gets resolved because it will help promote further trade, investment, and commercial development in your region.
And on Kosovo I think, we feel it is important to help promote stability there as well and that after really years and years of negotiation, that the UN sponsored Ahtisaari plan still represents the best approach. And our commitment to you is to continue to ensure that the United States will provide security, support and help to improve stability as this process goes forward.
Reporter: On the Skopje issue, if the U.S. Government could press the opposite side and assist in finding a solution?
Ambassador Speckhard: The U.S. has been encouraging both parties in that issue to find a solution. I have to say it is not true that we are only talking to our friends in Athens about this. We are talking equally with our friends in Skopje and encouraging a bilateral solution. As you know we have encouraged the process with the UN negotiator Ambassador Nimetz as the best mechanism to help find a solution.
Reporter: About Siemens. An American office came to Greece and interrogated. Any comment?
Ambassador Speckhard: I do not have enough information on this to really enlighten you because I think the investigations on this issue are still under way, and it is much too premature for me to have any comment.