Greece today officially took over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, via Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, with the handover ceremony taking place in a video conference, due to the special conditions imposed by Covid-19. The President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis both delivered messages.
The central theme of the Greek Chairmanship is “protection of human life and public health in the context of a pandemic and effective management of a health crisis with full respect for human rights, the principles of democracy and the rule of law.”
As the Alternate Minister stressed in his opening speech, “the protection of human life and health, as a public good, was and will continue to be the top priority, given that everything comes second to human life. As Protagoras said, ‘Man is the measure of all things.’”
“In these critical moments, when Europe is being tested, it is up to us to do everything we can to ensure Europe emerges from the crisis stronger. This is a time for solidarity. In Greece, we have flattened the curve of the pandemic, which was our main goal. But we didn’t do it alone. We needed the courage and discipline of the Greek people, who complied with the strict measures imposed,” Mr. Varvitsiotis emphasised. “We believe that this spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility needs to take precedence today, as well. Because great challenges require collective responses,” he added.
The Alternate Minister noted that the Greek Chairmanship’s priorities also include young people’s rights, education and Democratic Culture in the digital age, children and vulnerable persons (children faced with the risk of poverty, victims of violence, trafficking, forced labour, unaccompanied minors among refugees), and the right of younger generations to enjoy cultural heritage undamaged by the impacts of climate change.
Greece last assumed the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in 1998.
May 15, 2020