GREEK EMBASSY: PAPANDREOU'S STATEMENT MISINTERPRETED

ZAGREB, Jan 10 (Hina) - The Greek Embassy in Croatia on Friday issued a statement in response to different interpretations of a recent interview Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Papandreou gave to a German paper, noting that ideas about the establishment of a Balkan federation had nothing to do with the policy of the European Union and Greece which firmly supported the European orientation of countries in the region. #L# Responding to reactions in Croatia to Papandreou's statement in "Sueddeutsche Zeitung", the Embassy quoted an explanation by the Greek minister's spokesman Panajotis Beglitis. Asked in the interview if he saw a future in Europe for other former Yugoslav countries besides Slovenia, Papandreou answered that Balkan countries had to have a future in Europe. "...we should speed up this process during our presidency. In Greece, there have repeatedly been discussions about a Federation of Balkan states. The EU gives us the possibility of using the vision of the past for future stability in the region," the minister said in the interview. The embassy statement noted that Papandreou's statement had been misinterpreted in the German translation and that the minister had made a reference to the ideas of a Greek revolutionary poet from the time of the Ottoman rule, Rigas Ferraios, about the establishment of a Balkan federation. "It can be easily understood that this reference to the past has no connection, whatsoever, with today's developments in the Balkans, particularly with the policy of the European Union and Greece. On the contrary, Mr. Papandreou has particularly underlined the need of the reinforcement of the Balkan cooperation and the firm determination of Greece to support the European orientation of the countries of the region, which is the main priority of our Presidency," reads the statement by Papandreou's spokesman as quoted by the Greek Embassy. (hina) rml