1. Attached for your information is a report of Greek Ambassador
Tzounis’ ideas for a change
in tactics in dealing with the U.S.
Government. [1 line not declassified] who talked
with him in mid-October 1979. [2 lines not
declassified] (S)
2. I am forwarding copies of this report to Secretary Brown, Secretary Vance, and Ambassador McCloskey in Athens. (U)
Attachment
Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence
Agency3
FIRDB–312/02688–79
Washington, undated
SUBJECT
- Greek Ambassador Tzounis’ Views on Greek Tactics in Dealing with
the U.S. Government (S)
1. After almost four months in Washington, Greek Ambassador to the
United States Ioannis Tzounis has decided that the Government of Greece
should reappraise its manner of handling foreign policy disputes
with the United States Government. Tzounis is convinced that the Greek Government has
placed too much faith in good relations with the American Congress
while allowing relations to deteriorate with the Executive Branch,
and particularly the State Department and the White House. Tzounis believes the Greek
Government, in what he terms as a serious misjudgment of the
American political scene, does not realize how unpopular it has
become with senior American foreign policy makers. (S)
2. Tzounis was first made
aware of his country’s problems with the U.S. Government when he delivered a letter from Greek
Prime Minister Karamanlis to
President Carter at the time
that Tzounis presented his
credentials.4 The letter was an attempt on the
part of Karamanlis to
reiterate to President Carter Greek problems as they relate to Turkey,
military reintegration into NATO,
and Greek internal affairs.
3. Not only has the Karamanlis
letter not been answered by the U.S.
Government, but Tzounis has
been informed by “close friends in the White House” that the letter
was very badly received and created great anger on the part of some
senior American officials. In addition Tzounis has been informed, by people he considers to
be close friends of Greece throughout the American Government, that
Greece’s previous policy of confrontation with the Executive Branch,
in both the preceding and present administrations, has only created
extremely deep anti-Greek attitudes on the part of many senior
American officials. In addition, Tzounis has decided that the previous Greek policy
of working exclusively with the so-called “Greek Lobby” in Congress
has failed, as evidenced in the final outcome of the Turkish embargo
issue, and that it was portrayed to Athens as a foreign policy
weapon with far more power than it truly has. (S)
[Page 597]
4. In outlining his thoughts for a new foreign policy approach to the
American Government, Tzounis
strongly criticized the Greek Government for seeking “confrontation”
with consecutive American administrations. He felt that Greek policy
in the future should be one of verbal cooperation with the American
administration. He would like to present the Greek position fairly
and without emotion to senior administration officials, while at the
same time adopting the posture that “we are on the same side.”
Tzounis particularly
felt that Greece must recognize the importance of Turkey to the
American administration and make peace with the issue. He said that
the Greek Government should indicate its interest in assisting the
Americans on the Turkish problem while proclaiming the importance of
Turkey to the West. He felt that a self-proclaimed friendly Greece
offering their closest ally, the United States, support in the
Eastern Mediterranean would be received with open arms in
Washington. Tzounis stated
that such a change in policy approach in Washington would eventually
be most welcome to the friends of Greece in Congress who are
disturbed by what they perceive as an almost anti-American attitude
on the part of the Karamanlis
Government. (S)
5. Tzounis hopes to present
his thoughts in the form of a personal recommendation to Foreign
Minister Rallis sometime
before the end of the year. At that time he would hope to meet with
Prime Minister Karamanlis to
discuss these proposals. In the meantime Tzounis has begun a systematic
series of briefings of senior American officials, including
officials at various levels in the U.S. Defense Department. He hopes by doing these
briefings he will be able to take much of the emotion out of
Greek-U.S. relations. Tzounis recognizes, however, that
if his suggestions are not accepted in Athens, possibly for internal
Greek political reasons, he will have little further influence
there. (S)
