Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ address at an event of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs titled "Greece as a factor of power and stability in the Southeastern Mediterranean. Thessaloniki in the spotlight" (Thessaloniki, 15.02.2023)
Dear Mr. President, thank you very much for the invitation, but more importantly, thank you very much for your cooperation over the last 3.5 difficult years. Ladies and gentlemen, I’d also like to thank all the members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Hellenic Parliament for their contribution to something that is of capital importance: to the strengthening of the acquis of national understanding, to the fundamental pillars of our country's foreign policy. Because, ladies and gentlemen, the historical core of Hellenism bears distinct scars caused by national division, and I believe that here in Thessaloniki, in Macedonia, you are perhaps more aware than anywhere else of the devastation that our homeland has suffered during the 200 years of the modern Greek state’s existence due to the division between us.
It is, therefore, a key priority of the Mitsotakis government not to call into question this national understanding of our foreign policy’s fundamental pillars in the run-up to the elections. Because I believe we all agree that unanimity is not a luxury, but rather a prerequisite for our national survival.
Over these years, ladies and gentlemen, we have been able to formulate a coherent strategy that has not only allowed our country to react but has also created the conditions for diplomatic, military, and economic strengthening, as the President described at length earlier. It has created conditions that have turned Greece into a modern, hospitable, open-to-innovation, new-ideas-friendly, extroverted, contemporary country. A country that can change and grow geopolitically stronger through its changes. We are all aware that the Russian invasion of Ukraine marked the upheaval of the international order as we knew it at the time. Just as the new revisionism in our region marked a shift of balance here in the Eastern Mediterranean. In short, the world has changed; our region has changed.
Developments, though, have confirmed the government's choice to redefine our horizons. To adapt them to the challenges through specific actions, while preserving the same fundamental cornerstone, namely International Law. Respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States, as well as the promotion of the peaceful settlement of disputes, good neighborly relations, and equality amongst all States. We, Greeks have chosen a policy of principles and values and we meticulously and unceasingly promote these principles and values.
Over these years I have made 244 visits, to 81 countries, with 112 counterparts, to 19 countries where Greek diplomacy had never existed at ministerial level before. We have strengthened traditional friendships, as well as forged numerous new ones. We strengthened our old alliances but also forged new ones. We established an unprecedented bilateral, trilateral, multilateral network of relations and partnerships. We signed historic Agreements; we formed a force of diplomatic deterrence.
Two years before the election is held, we have already secured 112 pledges for support in writing in favor of our candidacy to the United Nations Security Council. We are currently running three campaigns. One for the Security Council, one for the presidency of the General Assembly, and one for the UN Human Rights Council. Greece has never been elected to two of these three positions and we have only been elected to the third position once in our entire history.
Ladies and gentlemen,
During this government’s tenure, I am proud that we have signed 321 international Agreements. There is no precedent like this in modern Greek history, not even half the number I have mentioned.
Aside from that, of course, the Agreements with Italy and Egypt on the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones stand out. These Agreements demonstrate that our positions on the International Law of the Sea are shared by other countries, by the vast majority of countries in our region, and that the International Law of the Sea is the sole legal vehicle for consolidating peace.
Let us now briefly talk about our neighboring country. We are absolutely certain, ladies and gentlemen, that the Turkish people want peace, and stability; they want cooperation. And I’d like to tell you that the warmth of the welcome extended not only by the Turkish officials, the ministers, my long-time friend, and acquaintance, my counterpart but particularly by the recently stricken and bereaved people in Türkiye, has convinced me deeply of the two societies’ and the two peoples’ ability to coexist in a peaceful, stable, and secure future.
After consulting with the Prime Minister, Mr. Mitsotakis, I assured my Turkish counterpart, but also speaking to the Turkish media, I assured Turkish society and Turkish citizens, particularly the mourning Turkish citizens, that our country, Greece, in its two capacities, first of all as a European country, but also as an EU member state, will stand by them at this critical time and will do everything it can to alleviate their pain.
Because, ladies and gentlemen, human suffering knows no borders, it goes through them. And our social and historical ethos asks us to demonstrate solidarity with our fellow human beings in their hour of suffering. We can also hope that through cordiality a more secure future will emerge in the near future.
Yet again, for Greece, there are fundamental guiding values, namely territorial integrity, International Law, International Law of the Sea, and dialogue. Dialogue enables the settlement of disputes, but even if they are not addressed definitively, convergences and understanding are created. Revisionist narratives are addressed. We have always and will continue to extend an olive branch. Of course, as a country, we also retain the right to bear a sword. Mr. President, you just talked about the sword in great detail.
Our policy is simple, ladies and gentlemen. It is perfectly perceivable. Let me remind you of the Olympic Airways logo, the six intersecting circles.
Our first circle is our European family. We have reinforced our relations and our presence there; we signed the Defence Agreement with France. Some argue, of course, that is because we purchased weapons from France. That is not the case. We have been purchasing weapons from France over the years, the Mirage F1s in '74, the Combattante fast attack crafts, and the Mirage 2000 jet fighters during the Andreas Papandreou era. The first time a Defence Agreement was signed with France was under the Mitsotakis Government. And I have to mention that France is not a country that frequently signs Defence Agreements; it has only two others. One with Federal Germany, signed after World War II for historical reasons and another one with the United Arab Emirates. The Agreement with Greece is the third.
In addition to our European surroundings, we have strengthened our relations with the United States. With the two Agreements that I had the honor to sign, I believe northern Greece has geopolitically been upgraded. And I’d like this to be totally understood. I’m referring to the strategic role assigned to northern Greece. To begin with, five years ago Alexandroupolis was not on the defense map of either NATO, the EU, or the US. Today though, it is one of the most central points, resulting in a rapid geopolitical upgrade, a rapid energy upgrade, and a rapid commercial upgrade. But let me emphasize that northern Greece overall, precisely because it borders and communicates with both the eastern and western Balkans, is an area of immense interest in the foreign policy of a number of major countries.
Besides, allow me to give you a small example. Next Tuesday, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is coming to Athens for the Strategic Dialogue. One cannot recall a time in Greek history when the United States had a structured Strategic Dialogue with Greece on an annual basis, with the Secretary of State visiting Greece every year or the Greek Minister visiting Washington in order to maintain a structured, stabilized relationship. Our country has advanced to a new level.
Aside from that, the third circle comprises North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf. Our relationships with Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt are of unprecedented cordiality. With Egypt, we signed the agreement I mentioned previously. I have been to Cairo 14 times. I know the route from Cairo’s airport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo better than home. We have also signed a defense Agreement with the United Arab Emirates, the largest military power in the Gulf. We have signed a defense cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, while our relations with Israel are at an all-time high, even though the governments there are changing.
Fourth, which concerns you directly, is peace and stability in the Balkans. We are making tremendous efforts for the Western Balkans. The 2003 Thessaloniki Agenda, a proud agenda for Greek foreign policy, succeeded in bringing the Eastern Balkans, namely Bulgaria, and Romania, into the EU. And now on the basis of the same agenda, the Thessaloniki agenda, we are trying to lead the Western Balkans to the same path, to our European family, because that is the only way to ensure security and stability in Europe. Europe cannot survive with a black hole at its heart.
Fifth, we are moving beyond our known horizon, whether in sub-Saharan Africa or in West Africa, or in emerging powers such as India, Japan, Indonesia, or Latin American countries that I visited just last week, Greece has an open horizon policy. But please note the following: We are working and concluding agreements with powerful countries that share the same position as us on International Law and International Law of the Sea. Countries that perceive international affairs as does the Hellenic Republic and stand with the Hellenic Republic in international organizations against revisionism from wherever it comes from.
And sixth, we have formulated a policy as regards international organizations. I’ve already mentioned the three campaigns we are running for the three different UN bodies.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is our foreign policy in a nutshell, and it is the policy that we have been implementing for the past three and a half years in every corner of the globe. I’ve already told you the number of countries I’ve visited; I’ve traveled 1,108,000 kilometers in the air, or, to put it another way, it’s as if I have been to the moon three times.
All this, however, demonstrates that Greek foreign policy has entered the 21st century with a steady step and that it is now a significant factor in the establishment of national power and prosperity. It is a factor that, along with all other national forces, is contributing to the creation of a modern, outward-looking, ambitious, self-confident, independent, and strong country, a country that during our tenure has expanded with the extension of its territorial waters for the first time since 1947. And if I may say so, a country that I am confident will continue to expand and excel in the years to come. A proud Greece; A Greece that our children deserve.
Thank you very much.
February 15, 2023