Interview With Antenna TV of Greece

QUESTION: Go ahead, please.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: What I was going to suggest is I have a short statement here that I wanted to make in Greek, just that I would -- a prepared statement.

QUESTION: Okay.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: And then I thought maybe if you could, you know, ask me a couple of questions in English. But I thought if I started off in Greek -- can you see me all right now and can you hear me all right?

QUESTION: I can see you and -- yeah, let's try your Greek. Go ahead.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Okay. Well, I'll start now then. (In Greek: English text

As Deputy Secretary of State, I have been actively involved over the last week in supporting U.S. efforts to provide relief to Greece at this difficult time. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy. Be assured that we will work closely with the Greek government, with NGO's and with the Greek-American community to assist in the reconstruction of the areas damaged by the fire. Thank you

Greek text

Ως Υφυπουργüς Εξωτερικþν, Þδη απü την περασμÝνη εβδομÜδα εργÜζομαι πυρετωδþς για την αποστολÞ αρωγÞς απü την ΑμερικÞ προς την ΕλλÜδα αυτÝς τις δýσκολες þρες. Συμμεριζüμαστε τον πüνο üλων üσων Ýχασαν αγαπημÝνα πρüσωπα σε αυτÞ τη φοβερÞ τραγωδßα. Να εßστε βÝβαιοι üτι θα συνεργαστοýμε στενÜ με την ελληνικÞ κυβÝρνηση, τις Μη-ΚυβερνητικÝς Οργανþσεις και την ελληνοαμερικανικÞ κοινüτητα συμβÜλλοντας στην ανοικοδüμηση των πυρüπληκτων περιοχþν. Ευχαριστþ.)

QUESTION: Okay. Then let me ask you -- you answered my first question, which would have been in English. The fact that after the national tragedy there is growing sensitivity among the Greek public towards climate change and the global need for measures to protect the environment. And I was wondering if President Bush is prepared to follow the lead of people like Merkel, Sarkozy, Blair, now Brown, in pushing for specific measures in that respect.

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, I think the answer to that is definitely yes. As you may recall, President Bush made a speech on the issue of climate change before going to the G-8 meeting in Germany this past month of June. And in addition to that, the United States will be hosting a very important meeting on the 27th of September in Washington of the major emitting states, the major carbon-emitting states, with a view to contributing to the United Nations process of arriving at some sort of a goal by the end of the year 2008.

QUESTION: Since this is an opportunity to talk to the Greeks, for the last three and a half years you have worked with the government of Prime Minister Karamanlis. As Ambassador to the UN, you have also worked with George Papandreou after September 11th, the period leading to and immediately following the Iraq war. How would you describe your cooperation with them?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, I would say it has been very, very good. Greece is, of course, an ally, a close friend. We have both strong political, economic and security relationships, in addition to the fact that there's such a large Greek American community living in this country. And I would say that relations on the whole have been extremely good, and certainly my own personal experiences dealing with the Greek representative at the United Nations and also on my official visit to Greece which I took in the year 2002, I was very, very well received.

QUESTION: Do you expect the new prime minister, whoever that is, to visit Washington soon?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, I'm not able to speculate on that. You have elections that are going to be taking place shortly, and I think that I would prefer not to speculate on that specific point. But I would add that it's, of course, not unusual for Greek political leaders to visit the United States, including both, of course, New York and Washington.

QUESTION: One question on Kosovo. Greeks are very -- following closely developments there. If partition is seen as an acceptable, viable solution, would the U.S. support that? And is there a role for Greece in the Balkans?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, I think that, first of all, with respect to Greece's role in the Balkans, of course, Greece is situated geographically in such a way that it inevitably is involved in the Balkans, whether it's politically or economically. There's an enormous amount of Greek investment throughout the Balkan region. So I would expect that Greece -- my understanding would be that it would continue to pay a great deal of attention to what's happening in that part of the world.

As far as Kosovo is concerned, we are now at the stage where the future of Kosovo is being discussed in the Security Council and we are hopeful that some kind of satisfactory resolution can be worked out that would preferably not involve a partition. But I think that it remains to be seen exactly what is going to happen in regard to Kosovo.

I have perhaps time for one more question.

QUESTION: Thank you very much. Okay, my final question. Are there -- is there any possibility that you personally or maybe Secretary Rice, in a show of solidarity, might be visiting Greece and touring the devastating areas -- devastated areas?

DEPUTY SECRETARY NEGROPONTE: Well, we did -- our Under Secretary for Management happened to have been in Greece at the time of these fires and had a chance to visit with officials of the Greek Government in Athens. I don't know whether I will be conducting any travel to Greece in the immediate future, but I would welcome the opportunity to visit your country again in -- as early as possible.