‘The diplomatic battle has yet to be won’

PASOK President George Papandreou talks to Kathimerini about Greek unity on FYROM, the government’s privatization policies and SYRIZA

By C.P. Papadiochos - Kathimerini

The diplomatic battle for the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has yet to be decided, PASOK leader George Papandreou warned in an interview with Kathimerini. He believes Greece defended its interests by exercising the veto at the NATO summit in Bucharest. The veto must not be linked to any form of trade-off, he said, emphasizing that Greece’s insistence on abiding by international law was a powerful foreign policy weapon. He said PASOK would continue to make a decisive contribution to the handling of major issues. Papandreou was open to the prospect of cooperation with the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), while emphasizing that PASOK aims to form a one-party government. He said the idea of a grand coalition was out of touch with political reality. Referring to discussion arising from his statements in Parliament on the government’s privatization policy, the PASOK head warned that those who follow “non-transparent processes will find themselves up against the new government of change, the PASOK government.”