A Journal of Foreign Policy Issues
Greece’s policies covered both bilateral aid to countries in need and active participation in multilateral projects involving other countries wishing to offer humanitarian assistance.
As Greece maintains excellent political and economic relations with all states in the Balkan region and has been a major player in regional co-operation, its efforts on the political as well as on the humanitarian level proved to be both welcome and fruitful.
Greek Humanitarian Aid to Albania, FYROM and the FRY
From the very
beginning of the crisis, Greece undertook a serious effort to alleviate the burden placed on
its two neighboring countries in close cooperation with the governments of Albanian and FYROM.
The main objective was
to set up refugee camps and regulate the distribution of aid supplies.
Members of the Greek government paid several visits to these two countries to ensure that the
assistance program was well in hand.(1)
The total sum of Greek humanitarian aid for the refugees who streamed into Albania and FYROM exceeded 3 billion Greek drachmas (more than US$11 million). In addition, Greek NGOs received a total of 240 million Greek drachmas (US$0.8 million) from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a contribution to their activities in those countries.
Greek humanitarian aid to Albania was delivered to and distributed by the Greek Embassy in Tirana in cooperation with the Orthodox Church of Albania and the contingent of the Greek Armed Forces stationed in Albania. In FYROM, a group of five closely cooperating, Greek NGOs have been distributing relief supplies to seven Reception Centers for the Support, Shelter and Protection of refugees.(2)
As far as humanitarian aid to the FRY is concerned, assistance has reached the sum of 300 million Greek drachmas (US$1 million), two thirds of which were allocated to Serbia and the remaining one third to Montenegro. An extra sum of 550 million Greek drachmas (US$1.8 million) was handed over to Greek NGOs for the same purpose.(3)
It is worth noting that Greek humanitarian convoys have been
entering the FRY territory and delivering humanitarian assistance since April 17, 1999. In total,
more than 70 humanitarian convoys have delivered thousands of
tons of food and medical supplies to
Kosovo, as well as to other areas of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.(4)
In addition, besides the Greek state and Greek NGOs, a great number of individuals also got involved in the relief projects, gathering supplies and sending them to the needy in all areas affected by the crisis.
Operation FOCUS
Soon after the conflict ended in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Greece, along with the Russian Federation and Switzerland, launched a humanitarian initiative by the name of FOCUS. This humanitarian relief operation aims at assisting all victims of the crisis in the FRY.(5) A Steering Group, consisting of official representatives of Greece, Russia and Switzerland, was set up on April 28, 1999.(6) The FOCUS Steering Group accepted Austria as its fourth member at its meeting in Moscow on June 4-5.(7)
Representatives of the four countries signed on June 5 a Memorandum of Understanding with the Yugoslav authorities, thereby providing the necessary framework for FOCUS to fulfill unimpeded its humanitarian duty in the FRY.
The operation FOCUS enjoys the support of the representatives of the UN-Agencies as well as that of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. (8)
During the crisis, members of the countries participating in FOCUS initially set up warehouse facilities in Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje and Sofia. Later, local warehouses were also created in Kosovo areas such as Grazanica near Pristina. Supplies are distributed throughout the national territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia according to the people’s needs, regardless of ethnic and religious affiliation. Once the FOCUS staff has assessed where the need for aid exists, they accompany the supply convoys into the crisis zones. Humanitarian officers closely supervise the distribution of supplies, thus guaranteeing absolute fairness in its implementation. (9)
Greece’s contribution to this relief operation is
of some importance. Greece is in charge of the Regional Office in Pristina, and during the crisis
was able to send a number of humanitarian officers there who successfully coordinated the distribution
of supplies for the whole region. When circumstances allowed, more officers were sent to the area.
During the same period, Greek envoys paid several visits to Kosovo in order to promote the
humanitarian relief operation. Later, Greece dispatched (10) more humanitarian officers in various
localities of Kosovo (such as Urosevac) as well as in other areas of the FRY (such as Nis).
Given that the humanitarian situation in Kosovo remains serious, Greece, along with the other three member-countries of FOCUS, continues to provide humanitarian aid to people in need, particularly directing its activities on the regions of Pristina, Orahovac, Malisevo, Podujevo and Urosevac. Additional staff have also been sent to Belgrade and Podgorica, while one more FOCUS office has begun operating in Nis (FRY) in order to provide assistance to the Serbs leaving Kosovo. Meanwhile, assessment teams from all four FOCUS member-countries are studying the impact of the conflict on the environment and the economy, as well as on public health in the area.(10)
In this way, FOCUS members have been able to offer substantial assistance to the needy in the area of the FRY and especially in the province of Kosovo.
Epilogue
Greece’s diplomatic and humanitarian response to the Kosovo crisis has been reasonably efficient. Greece’s humanitarian contribution was both expeditious and substantial. The Greek state’s machine was fully mobilized, and in accordance with the Greek people’s will to help, was able to offer its neighboring countries the assistance they so direly needed.
Endnotes
1 For a list of the visits paid by
the political leadership of the Greek Ministry of Foreign affairs (see this issue’s Activities Report).
2 For details on Greek humanitarian aid see www.mfa.gr.
3 Ibid.
4 During the visit of the
Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Papandreou, to Moscow on April 28-30, 1999, an agreement of
cooperation was signed between Greece, Russia and Switzerland for supplying humanitarian assistance to
the FRY.
5 See Press Conference of Yannos Kranidiotis, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Hellenic Republic, and Sergei Shoigou, Minister for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of
Consequences of Natural Disasters, of the Russian Federation, Athens, May 19, 1999.
6 Ibid.
7 The Steering Group consists of Mr. Sergei Shoigou, Russian Minister of the Russian Federation
for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM);
Mr. Alex Rondos, Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Hellenic Republic; Ambassador Walter Fust, Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation (SDC); Albert Rohan, Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Austria.
8 FOCUS Humanitarian Relief operation, Greece-Russia-Switzerland-Austria, Focus Planning
and Coordination Unit, c/o Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Bern, 1999.
9 Ibid.
10 For more information on the Assessment Missions see www.focus-initiative.org.