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Greek
Ministry Official on SEcuring the balkans
at Southeast Europe Project’s Inaugural Event
Washington,
D.C.--- The Woodrow Wilson
Center’s Southeast Europe Project, newly established after the
successful merger with the Western Policy Center, held its inaugural
program with a policy forum on “Securing the Balkans: Democracy,
Development and Civil Society,” featuring Ambassador Alexander Mallias,
Director of the Greek Foreign Ministry’s Southeast Europe Department.
Amb. Mallias
emphasized the broad sweep of outstanding issues in the Balkans that need
to be elevated to priority status on the EU agenda, in conjunction with an
active American commitment to help resolve Kosovo’s final status and
strengthen the European security perimeter through EU and NATO
enlargement. He described Europe’s strong commitment to addressing
ongoing and potential challenges in the Balkan region as a platform for
strengthening both U.S.-Greek and broader trans-Atlantic relations in 2005
and beyond. He noted that the prospect of EU accession for Balkan
countries has proven to be an influential lever of the EU’s “soft
power” that had produced sweeping domestic changes in other eastern
European countries.
Amb.
Mallias expressed Athens’ concern about high unemployment and
underemployment in the Balkans, linked to small national economies, a
serious lack of needed infrastructure, the absence of sufficient foreign
investment, and social divisions among ethnic and religious minorities.
Greek policies are shaped to foster social and ethnic inclusiveness among
its Balkan neighbors, he added, in conjunction with promoting foreign
investment interest.
Regarding
the Kosovo issue, Amb. Mallias stated that Kosovo’s Serbs and Albanians
must be persuaded by both the EU and the U.S. to co-exist under a European
economic and political framework for development, adding that Montenegro
should be included in the process.
Referring to
Washington’s November decision to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia as the “Republic of Macedonia,” Amb. Mallias expressed
the displeasure of the Greek government. He stated that Greece remains
committed to reaching agreement on the issue. Athens now expects
Washington’s active engagement in, and support for, continued
negotiations, as well as acceptance of the outcome of the talks.
Amb. Mallias
also described an assertive Greek role in international defense
cooperation and multinational peacekeeping operations, noting Greece’s
disproportionately high peacekeeping participation in current NATO and
United Nations missions.
The policy
forum was organized by the Wilson Center Southeast Europe Project,
established in January 2005 to conduct energetic public affairs
programming and provide insightful analyses on political, economic, and
security issues on a regional and functional basis. Particular
attention will be paid to enlargement of the European Union and the
expansion and realignment of NATO in a post-9/11, post-Iraq war
environment.
The Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars is the living, national memorial
to President Wilson established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in
Washington, D.C. The Center establishes and maintains a neutral forum for
free, open, and informed dialogue. It is a nonpartisan institution,
supported by public and private funds and engaged in the study of national
and world affairs.
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