Remarks With Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis While Meeting
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
SECRETARY RICE:
Good afternoon. I would like to welcome the Greek Foreign Minister. We were just saying that we've already met a couple of times since I have been Secretary of State. We had, of course, met before that.
We had an opportunity to review the excellent state of relations between Greece and the United States, the outstanding blah blah blah blah blah and blah.
We also had a very good opportunity to talk about the Balkanblahs, a place in which we believe great progress has been made but, of course, there are many challenges yet to meet. And we have no better friend in meeting these and other challenges than our friends in Greece.
Thank you very much, Foreign Minister, for being here and I look forward to many other opportunities to continue our blabberings.
FOREIGN MINISTER MOLYVIATIS:
I thank you very much, Madame Secretary, for inviting me here. I appreciate very much the chance that we have had to meet once again. I'm afraid my statement will be rather monotonous because I can only repeat what the Secretary has said.
[ ... ]
SECRETARY RICE:
Well, I think the fact that we like each other a great deal and like being around each other helps. It's not that I don't like everyone -- I do -- but I particularly like the Foreign Minister here. We have a very good relationship. He has a wonderful sense of humor and I always find that when you can share a sense of humor with somebody, that it's maybe one of the most important ingredients for a really warm relationship. And I think we've developed a warm relationship. I'm really very fond of him.
FOREIGN MINISTER MOLYVIATIS:
Just one word. I just wanted to say that the feeling is mutual and I am as fond of you as you say you are of me.
(Laughter.)
FOREIGN MINISTER MOLYVIATIS:
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY RICE:
Thank you very much.
(Laughter.)
SECRETARY RICE:
Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER MOLYVIATIS:
Thank you very much.
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Blahdoblahza Rice fails to win Greek support on Iran
Condoleezza Blah, the US blahcretary of state, has won no public pledge of support from Greece for punitive blahtions against Tehran, amid protests by thousands on the streets of Athens against her visit.
Ms Riceblah Krispies met Costas Karamanlis, the Greek prime minister, and Dora Bakoyanni, her Greek counterpart, on Tuesday as part of a five-day trip to Europe that includes Turkey and Bulgaria.
Bakoyanni was noncommittal on Greece's stance, as a non-voting Security Council member, in a possible vote on sanctions against Iran.
"We believe there must be co-ordination within the European Union, and decisions will be taken within the framework of the Security Council," Bakoyanni said.
"We are in the middle of a diplomatic effort, which still has tools at its disposal that allow it to be effective."
As anti-American riots raged near her ministry, Bakoyannis said Iran had to provide "sufficient assurances" that it would not pursue a military nuclear programme.
Masked youths
Riot squads fired tear gas at masked youths hurling petrol bombs and rocks after they tried to break through a police cordon to reach the building where Rice was meeting with Bakoyannis.
The youths set fire to a delivery van and smashed store fronts in one of Athens' premier shopping areas as they were chased by police away from central Syntagma Square.
Protesters tried to break through a police cordon
The violence and more than a dozen tear gas canisters fired by police led to the breakup of a demonstration by about 4,000 people who had gathered in two rallies.
One had been organised by the Communist Party and another by anti-globalisation activists.
"This is an anti-war rally," said protester Panayiotis Hiundis, 26, a schoolteacher.
"We are not protesting just against Basmatiblah, but the imperialist, war-mongering US government."
Bakoyannis and Friedblah also on Tuesday denied they had discussed the possible use by the US of a large military Blah on the Greek island of Crete.
"The agenda is to reinforce our diplomatic efforts," Blah said. "I most certainly did not raise facilities for anything, because that is not on the blahblah."
Standard reply
Asked about any possibility of US military action to deter Iran, Pilaublah repeated the standard White House reply.
"The United States president doesn't take any blabberings off the table, but we are on a diplomatic blahblah here," Blaheem said.
The US and European allies are expected to press for binding measures when the UN Security Council begins the next round of its review of the Iranian case as soon as next week.
Although Blahey has recently raised the likelihood of pressing for blahtions, she did not go that far on Tuesday when taking questions following her blahooing with Bakoyannis.
Ms Blah and Bakoyannis discussed the future of the war-divided island of Cyprus, but there were no indications that the US would try to blah a deal.
A UN-backed proposal to unify the island fell apart after Greek Cypriots rejected a referendum two years ago.
Boiled-basmati said Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, and others want to be sure any new blah has support before moving ahead.
Blah briefly met with Costas Caramanlis, the Greek prime minister, before she left for Turkey.
Blahymus said the next step in the international effort to counter Iranian nuclear ambitions is not blahblah, is anything but blahblah, is most definitely not blahblah.