In his interview on “Chronos FM”, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Terens Quick, stressed the following:
“The Greek diaspora community on each continent interacts differently with the Greek homeland. Due to its size, America has to a great extent absorbed the third and fourth generations, and while these generations respect and love the homeland of their forebears, they are less involved in assisting Greek businesses. But their organizations, like those of the Greeks of New York, for instance – those hailing from Komotini – take every opportunity to help the area of Greece they come from, either through sending humanitarian aid or in any other way they can.
And while this is the case in America, in Africa, where a handful of Greeks live in each country, they love us and they want to become bridges for Greek enterprises in their adopted homelands. A few days ago, I talked to Greece’s honorary Consul in Mozambique, Gerasimos Markatos. I implored him – within the framework of the business campaign we are carrying out in African countries – to set northern Greece, Macedonia and Thrace as his target. Because we really do have the opportunity to bring specialized businesses that they need, because these African countries are developing and want many kinds of infrastructure to help businesses that can suddenly find themselves with a significantly large clientele.”
Regarding the course of the negotiations with fYROM, Mr. Quick stated:
“We cannot have the continuation of a situation that creates black holes in the Balkan and induces third countries to intervene in our region,” adding that “in diplomacy you don’t always win 100%; you yield 10% and gain 20%. That is why negotiations are taking place – otherwise we would be talking about an imposition. We can’t be talking about imposition in the 21st century. No one will impose anything on us, and regardless of whether we are advancing the resolution of the name issue, I assure you that Nikos Kotzias is very, very careful with and sensitive to issues that have to do with the history of Greece. And I think it is a success on his part that we persuaded the Skopjans to take down their symbols from the airport and many statues. Because they didn’t do it for 25 years, when Greece had other governments.”
In closing, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his complete confidence in the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his optimism that the issue will be resolved. “We have to resolve the issue, and it will be to Greece’s benefit, because we have to become the point of reference in the Balkans and, beyond that, ensure our security so that we can respond to the real regional geopolitical challenges. So Nikos Kotzias is working the right way. Working beside him, I – as well as the ANEL Party – have complete confidence in him, and I think we are making very good progress. The issue will be resolved.”
Terens Quick will be in Komotini this coming Monday in the context of the Greek-Armenian Symposium being hosted by the Democritus University of Thrace.
February 25, 2018