Greece - US Department of State

Greece 677
the U.S. will not bring the Greek question up in that forum but he was
afraid that others might do so. He pointed out that it is the impression
of a number of countries that time is slipping by and that no real
progress is being made in Greece.
Ambassador Vitsaxis said that between now and April some steps
are contemplated. He wondered whether there was any way to satisfy
Greece’s critics other than to fulfill to the letter the pledges the Greek
Government had made. He said that whether Greece satisfies these critics
depends really on whether the critics want democracy in Greece
or a change of government. In the event it is a change of government
they want then that must be construed as interference in internal Greek
affairs.
Ambassador Vitsaxis noted that the draft law on political parties
is now ready, and that the Prime Minister had declared that elections
will be announced a year in advance. He said there had been a liberalization
of the press, and promised to send a file documenting that
point. As regards so-called political prisoners, he noted that some were
still under administrative detention because they are considered dangerous.
This is not a new situation in Greece. In 1952 there were three
times as many in detention as there are now. Most of those still detained
have been trained in Moscow and they can be released upon
signing a paper that they will do nothing to disturb the public peace
and security.
When the Secretary asked whether the Greek Government had
thought of issuing a kind of White Paper on the Greek situation Ambassador
Vitsaxis said he thought the speech of Foreign Minister Pipinelis
before the Council of Europe might constitute such a document
and he promised to forward it to the Department.
Regarding Greece’s legal position in the Council of Europe, about
which the Secretary inquired, Ambassador Vitsaxis noted that Greece
is now out of the Council, it is no longer a member. He explained that
according to the statutes a member which withdraws can exercise its
rights of membership for one year following that withdrawal, but that
Greece has abjured that right. Ambassador Vitsaxis would not say that
Greece is permanently out of the Council of Europe. He noted that
there had been a Council of Europe resolution expressing hope for the
return of Greece when political life in Greece would allow that. His
personal opinion was that there would be no difficulty in Greece’s rejoining
the Council at some future date, but he could not give any official
position on that.
Ambassador Vitsaxis assured, in conclusion, that there has been
no change whatsoever in Greece’s attitude to NATO and that Greece
will continue as in the past to uphold its NATO commitments.