Athens, 14 April 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Foreign policy as a field of political action has ceased to be the exclusive concern of certain bureaucrats and politicians in our country. It is now the subject of social dialogue and expression. So the better informed citizens are, the more productive the dialogue on our relations with the rest of the world will be. This is the basic result of participatory democracy. This also benefits us in determining and exercising our foreign policy.
So I thank the editors of Diplomacy magazine for inviting me to talk to an audience with a lively interest in Greek defence and foreign policy. I think that the dialogue and discussion on the political choices and positions of our country on the international stage are more profitable than ever. And this is because there are many challenges both globally and regionally, and the Greek people must be aware of them and take positions on them.
You are well aware that we are living in an internationalised environment; and environment in which ongoing change is the only constant. States today are facing numerous challenges and threats that transcend national borderlines. The traditional notion of the sovereign state confronting problems on its own is a thing of the past. It has proven ineffective in practice. The progress and prosperity of states and peoples can be achieved only through relations of cooperation.
Cooperation relations, however, are defined – or must be defined – by a framework of principles and rules; principles that reflect our world’s value system. Rules that set out the rights and conventional obligations in our international conduct. Dedication to principles and institutionalised rules is a political act; a political act with clear ideological content.
In line with its strong tradition, Greece exercises a foreign policy of principles and values. With international law and order as its fundamental principle, our country follows the rules of international law. Greece believes in the peaceful resolution of differences between states, defends democracy, respects human rights, and focuses its policies and initiatives on the creation of security and stability on the planet.
Within this framework of principles and rules, Greek policy has an immutable strategic goal: the defence of national interests and constant advancement of our country on an international level. In achieving this goal, our country is called upon to make optimum use of its power factors. It is called upon to strengthen its influence abroad and enhance its role as a sound and reliable power – as a force for stability and growth – and strengthen even further its developed and internationally-oriented economy.
As a modern society, as a people who proudly want to shape the conditions for a better future, we have one great duty. First, we must fight to promote the mutual interests of our country and our international collocutors. And second, we must adapt successfully to the conditions in the international environment, discerning and meeting challenges as they arise therein.
Based on these two principles – mutuality and adaptability – I would like to refer briefly to our pre-eminent choices.
Greece, ladies and gentlemen, is a member of the great European family: a powerful stabilising factor of high international standing. As a hardcore member of the EU, Greece is giving its all in the effort towards a Europe with a more democratic, more political, more social face. This is why we play a leading role in the endeavour to deepen unification and participate in all integration processes.
On the institutional level, we recognise the benefits arising from the European Reform Treaty. Its ratification will enhance the standing and effectiveness of Europe’s political institutions. The political Union will become more functional, revitalising public interest in politics because the European citizen will participate directly in the functioning of the EU’s institutions. Thus, the soft power wielded by the Union internationally will increase several-fold. And at the same time, the Union will become more competitive, more outward-oriented.
So we think that the Reform Treaty is a watershed for the future of the continent. It is a challenge that must not go unanswered.
The European space is a space of affirmed democratic principles. It is a space that is politically sensitive to all of the problems facing the planet. And we want this space to be a starting point for major initiatives on environmental protection and international security, stability and growth.
Europe needs everyone in this effort. Greece recognised this need and decided to firmly support the extension of the integration endeavour to Southeast Europe. We considered that there would be mutual gains from this decision. Abandoning propensities and perceptions that bind it to an anguished history, Southeast Europe will gradually strengthen stability, security and growth. The Union will extend its vision of integration and emerge in a new role as a ‘security producer’ on the European continent.
We are making great efforts to further the European integration endeavour. It was with great satisfaction that we accepted – and played a leading role in – the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to our large political family. Last November, we submitted a five-point proposal to the Council for revitalising the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
We are an active supporter of Serbia’s European perspective, because we think that the region’s security and stability rest on Serbia’s active participation – not its isolation. We are promoting the signing of a Stability and Association Agreement between Serbia and the EU because we believe that it is in the interests of both sides. It will benefit peace and security in Southeast Europe.
A new state of affairs has been created in Kosovo. Though we are concerned about the issue of Kosovo’s recognition, what comes first is Kosovo’s moving towards stability. Kosovo’s efforts must be focused on strengthening democratic institutions and maintaining its multiethnic and multicultural character. The European Security and Defence Policy mission to Kosovo, based on Security Council Resolution 1244, will make the Union’s leading role clear. It will point up the significance of European principles and institutions and strengthen the sense of security amongst Serbs and Albanians. It will be a long and difficult journey.
I repeat that Greece exercises a policy of principles. Sincere friendships and indissoluble alliances presuppose good neighbourly relations. This is the inviolable principle upon which stability is being built in the Balkans. This is the essence of the difference that we have with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
At the NATO Summit in Bucharest, we argued from this principle, and we were convincing. Our positions were set down in the joint communiqué. They became Alliance positions.
What both countries need is for us to build relations for the future; relations that look forward, without looking back in fear.
Free of fear syndromes, we are seeking the resolution of the problem based on an erga omnes, truly compound name, with a geographical qualifier. We are seeking a solution that is mutually acceptable and feasible. That is, we want a solution that is definitive, functional and feasible in every aspect. We believe in the power of dialogue; in the soundness of what we are saying, in the greatness of our principles. We will continue our efforts in these negotiations with unflagging interest, because the security, progress and prosperity of the Balkans is a great vision. It is a grand perspective.
The protection of our national interests and the improvement of our bilateral relations – to the benefit of security and peoples – is also the goal we have set in our relations with Turkey.
We actively support our neighbouring country’s European perspective, based on the principle that full compliance with the European acquis must lead to full accession.
On a bilateral level we have intensified the rate of political rapprochement, ongoing improvement and strengthening of our relations. It is our view that the surest way to achieve this rapprochement is that of international law. The rules of international law really provide a just and objective basis upon which any problems hampering the dynamic of our bilateral rapprochement can be successfully resolved.
Economic, energy, and tourism cooperation between Greece and Turkey are a reality.
We look forward to expanding this cooperation to issues of high politics. But this will happen only if there is tangible proof of Turkey’s respect for the European framework of cooperation principles, the European acquis. It will happen when Turkey takes a definite turn towards peacefully settling any disputes between us, abandons its unfounded claims in the Aegean, and renounces anachronistic practices of use of force. When decisions are made to allow the Ecumenical Patriarchate to operate smoothly, something which presupposes the opening of the Halki Seminary.
We have the will and the determination to continue. I hope that Ankara will show the same will and determination. We are not signing any blank cheques.
A self-evident prerequisite for the full normalisation of Greek-Turkish relations is finding a fair, viable, and functional solution on the Cyprus issue. We welcome with satisfaction the initial results of the recent meeting between President Christofias and Mr. Talat. We believe that the activity of the past few days can open a window of opportunity for finding a solution on the Cyprus issue; a solution leading to the reunification of the island, so that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots can coexist in harmony within a European environment of security, development, and prosperity, and can finally reap the dividends of peace and stability that history owes them.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greece, as I said earlier, is a modern state; a state which is internationally recognised as a force of authority and soft power. The range of its policy extends beyond its European borders. It converges with the collective efforts of other countries to address problems all over the world.
One of the most crucial fights of the international community at the moment is the fight against poverty. From the adoption of the Millennium Declaration to our constantly rising financial assistance to the third world, our country is dynamically present in efforts to combat this scourge. Greece is taking part; it is taking part dynamically.
With regard to the implementation of its international development policy, Greece has recognised 21 countries to which it allocates development aid. Within the framework of the Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans, by 2011 Greece will invest 550 million euros in infrastructure projects and support for private initiatives in our region. At an international level, we offered 2.5 million euros in humanitarian aid to Lebanon and 5 million euros in projects for the country’s reconstruction. Furthermore, through the Hellenic Aid programme, we are helping countries to address emergency humanitarian needs. The construction of hospitals, first aid stations, and schools, as well as drinking water and food supply are the priorities of this effort.
The success of Greece’s foreign policy is a function of the reflexes that it develops in a timely manner when faced with modern developments and challenges. As I said earlier, it is a function of its adaptability to them.
A very important change in comparison with the previous government’s policy lies in the fact that the Foreign Ministry and the government as a whole have taken action from the outset in the direction of economic diplomacy, with the Prime Minister himself at the helm. Apart from our traditional markets in Europe, America, and the Balkans, where there has been a stable and increasing Greek presence over the past fifteen years, we have turned towards faster-developing economies in the past three years, and our timely arrival in their markets can have a multiplying effect in terms of our economic growth. China, the Arab World – with the support of the President of the Hellenic Republic – Russia through the development of energy cooperation, Turkey, through energy cooperation, the presence of Greek banks, and the rise in our exports and trade.
Our government is opening new markets for its products and services in a coordinated and collective manner; it assists our businesses in their internationalisation efforts, and it attracts investments to Greece.
In the energy sector, our country’s position has improved significantly. The construction of oil and gas pipelines going through parts of Greece renders us a valuable energy partner in Europe. The final agreement on the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline, progress on the Turkish-Greek-Italian pipeline, and the South Energy Corridor are important success stories of our energy strategy. It is through these projects that we are contributing to the policy of securing the European Union’s energy resources and that we are avoiding its energy dependence.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The force of Greek foreign policy is our faith in the principles that we have established as a community of nations. Peace, democracy, security, stability, prosperity.
Its force comes from the strong mandate it has been given by the overwhelming majority of the Greek people. We are exercising a foreign policy with clear positions, open to the people, without hidden agendas and closed doors. And the people have rewarded us with their support.
Thank you for your attention and please continue your work of providing reliable and comprehensive information with the same zeal.