The immediate goal of the Greek diplomacy after Barack Obama’s assumption in office is to warm the Athens and Washington relations says today’s edition of “Elefterios Tipos”. The relationship of the two countries during 2008 was a disaster after Greece used its veto right and did not allow Macedonia to join NATO despite USA’s desire. Kostas Karamanlis is continuing to pay the price of the veto – Greece is not USA’s strategic partner on the Balkans anymore; the American investment interest in Greece is zero; Washington is pressuring Athens to pay off its debts like the ones of the American pharmaceutical companies; and the elimination of the US visas for Greek citizens is still a dream goal.

The initiative to improve the relations needs to come from Athens due to the damaged image of Greece in the States. America believes that today’s Greek government is unstable and it is not worth it to build long-term partner relationships with politicians, who will not be in power much longer. Despite the over praised friendship between Barack Obama and the Greek Diaspora in the US, who unconditionally supported his presidential campaign, the new White House owner will be less influenced rather than if Greece decided to send contingents to Afghanistan for example – something, which Athens would never do. So the true evaluation is – despite the seemingly warming, the distance will not be overcome only with superficial initiatives.

As a sign of goodwill, Athens is preparing to take ambassador Alexandros Malias from Washington, who most likely will become chief secretary of the Greek Foreign Ministry. His place in Washington will be taken by the current deputy ambassador in Brussels Vasilis Kaskarelis. Athens is also hoping that Washington will be flexible and will change its ambassador Daniel Speckhard, who is not a favorite of the current Greek diplomacy. By using its chairmanship in OSCE, Greece is ambitious to actively interfere in the region of Georgia, Abkhazia, and Ossetia - region, in which the US is actively interested with their aim being the decrease of Russian influence there. But how will Athens be Washington’s partner in a riotous region when it is relying more and more on Russia for energy?

The Greek diplomacy finds it very hard to organize a top-level meeting of the OSCE in Athens. This meeting was the perfect occasion for Dimitrii Medvedev and Barack Obama to sit around one table this spring. The reasons are many and the terrorism inside Greece is not last, which is a strong card in the hands of the US when it come to the relationship of the two countries.