Minister Grushko,
Excellencies,
Members of Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to this Conference held under the aegis of the Russian and Greek Ministries for Foreign Affairs.
The Conference comes at a very crucial and challenging time for Europe.Today, more than ever, exploring perspectives on European Security is as important as coming forth with proposals on the way ahead.
Our conference is particularly important for four reasons:
It is the first such Conference of its kind; it is taking place – as I said – at a very crucial time for international affairs; it is focused on issues of politico-military security; and it is a Conference open to the wider public.
First of all, I would like to focus on the unique character of this Conference.
Today’s event is the first Conference on European Security co-organized by Ministries for Foreign Affairs, reflecting the engagement of both Greece and the Russian Federation in this field and the will of both countries to enhance security in Europe.
As emphasized in the European Security Strategy: “We need to both think globally and to act locally."
Your country, Minister Grushko, has repeatedly proved its global thinking.
The ideas put forth by President Medvedev in Berlin in June 2008 and later by Presidents Medvedev and Sarkozy at the World Policy Conference in Evian in October 2008, signaled the launching of a dialogue that was much needed in international affairs.
It was not by chance that in 2009 Greece, “picked up the gauntlet” – so to speak – signaling, as the then Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, its great interest in restoring trust and confidence in Europe.
The launching of the “Corfu Process” during the Informal Ministerial Meeting held in Corfu in June 2009 revitalized the OSCE and provided the basis for a frank, wide-ranging dialogue in which all states, from Vancouver to Vladivostok, had the opportunity to present their concerns, their ideas, and their proposals for strengthening and modernizing European Security.
One month later, the address of Minister Lavrov during the 2009 OSCE Annual Security Review Conference, in which he presented in detail some of the more thought-provoking aspects of Russian proposals on European Security, is indicative of the regeneration of dialogue that took place within the OSCE.
During the December Athens Ministerial Conference of 2009 – and I say this with a feeling of pride: recognized by all as one of the most successful Conferences in the history of the Organization – over 20 ministerial decisions were adopted on enhancing the human, environmental and economic, as well as politico-military dimensions of security.
The following year, Greece took up the post of Corfu Process Coordinator for Arms Control Issues as well as the Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Cooperation – the politico-military Forum of the OSCE.
As the FSC Chair, we organized roundtables on European Security and the first in-depth discussions on the strengthening of the Vienna Document on Confidence and Security Building Measures.
In 2010, numerous OSCE participating States tabled over 50 proposals on enhancing European Security within the framework of the “Corfu Process”, setting the stage for the first OSCE Heads of State Summit in 11 years, held in Astana in December 2010.
The Astana Summit ended with the agreement on a Commemorative Declaration that envisioned a genuine Security Community in the Euroatlantic and Eurasian area.
Today, the “Corfu Process” continues in the able hands of the Lithuanian OSCE Chairmanship.
There is much more work to be done.
More political will and creativity has to be shown for the realization of the vision of a Security Community in Europe.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that trust and confidence have to a certain degree been restored in Europe, and that the diplomatic and political framework for enhancing European Security has been set.
I believe it is the ardent desire of both Russia and Greece to contribute further to the promotion of this framework through today’s Conference.
The second reason I believe this Conference is particularly important has to do with the state of international affairs today.
This state of play highlights how interlinked our security is across the globe.
Threats to security that are by definition transnational, such as:
- international terrorism,
- piracy,
- the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction,
- cyber-threats and
- arms and drugs trafficking,
pose serious challenges to European security.
At the same time, traditional intra-state as well as inter-state security challenges – such as regional conflicts, arms races or the threat or use of force – remain sources of instability.
Greece is particularly sensitive on issues of territorial integrity, the threat or use of force, and any disrespect for international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions.
It is important to recognize that the international community cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to unresolved conflicts, security black holes and threats, be they inside or outside the Euroatlantic and Eurasian area.
European security requires creative initiatives and dynamic engagement on a bilateral and multilateral level.
After all, as the 1999 Charter for European Security clearly states, in a provision serving as the definition of cooperative security:
“The security of each OSCE participating state is inseparably linked to that of all others”.
Events in North Africa and their repercussions on the level of migration flows are an ‘interlinked-security’ case in point.
No solution can be found through shortsighted national initiatives aimed at unweaving [undermining? superseding?] collective efforts to confront these challenges effectively.
Moving on from this point, one cannot but stress that dealing with security necessitates a cross-dimensional approach:
the current state of play in international affairs underscores the fact that security is cross-dimensional.
As stated in the European Security Strategy:
“Spreading good governance, supporting social and political reform, dealing with corruption and abuse of power, establishing the rule of law and protecting human rights are the best means of strengthening the international order.”
Greece strongly believes that effective crisis management cannot be reached without full use of political and civilian means – along with military means, if needed.
We also attach particular importance to the humanitarian aspect of crises.
E.g. with regard to Libya, Greece's contribution has a very important humanitarian dimension, including medical treatment in Greece and sending humanitarian aid.
This broader point about the cross-dimensionality of security can be seen in recent events in Japan, Africa and the Middle East – but also here in Europe – that have had an impact on various aspects of human security.
Ensuring the safe use of nuclear energy, protecting human rights, responding effectively to an economic crisis or to migration pressures – these situations cannot be dealt with comprehensively without cross-dimensional, long-term solutions.
Again quoting the 1999 Charter for European Security:
“We must address the human, economic, political and military dimensions of security as an integral whole.”
Experience shows that we should consider the environmental dimension as well.
In this sense, international developments have proven that the concept of “cooperative, cross-dimensional security”, on which the “Corfu Process” is based, is neither an abstract theoretical construct nor a “luxury”.
Today, as much as ever, we also need to strengthen existing institutions by enriching their toolboxes.
We have to expedite our efforts to realize this concept of security and apply it to the way we confront threats and challenges in the 21st Century.
The third reason I believe this Conference is particularly important is related to its focus on the politico-military sphere.
Searching for comprehensive solutions does not mean trying to solve all the world’s problems at once.
Understanding each dimension of security in its own terms is just as important as finding the ways in which it is connected to other dimensions.
The past two years have seen a shift in the politico-military sphere towards both the dispelling of misperceptions and stereotypes and the promotion of a more cooperative perspective on confronting new threats and challenges.
NATO’s New Strategic Concept highlighted the importance the Alliance attaches to pursuing its strategic partnership with Russia, as well as to cooperating with other international actors.
Similarly, at their 2010 Lisbon Summit, the 29 NATO-Russia Council members agreed to strengthen the work of the Council in a number of fields, including Missile Defence and ensuring stability in Afghanistan.
The signing of the new START Treaty between Russia and the United States, as well as the establishment of the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, signaled important new steps for the consolidation of this cooperative spirit, reflecting needs emanating from today’s realities.
Similarly, the launching of negotiations to overcome the crisis in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe – the CFE Treaty – and the holding of discussions on the modernization of the OSCE Vienna Document, created a lot of hope in Vienna.
Nevertheless, it is clear that we have several challenges ahead of us in the politico-military dimension, particularly in revitalizing our conventional arms control framework.
Greece attaches great importance to making progress in the field of arms control negotiations, recognizing the crucial role the CFE regime has played these past 20 years in peace, stability and politico-military transparency in Europe.
In the same vein, in the field of conflict management, protracted conflicts within the OSCE area remain a challenge not only for regional stability, but also for the strengthening of the European Security architecture as a whole.
And with this I come to the fourth reason why I consider this Conference important.
The Conference is open to the public and brings together a panel of esteemed experts from a variety of professional fields.
Military officers, politicians, diplomats, university professors and researchers from various institutes and think tanks – all experts in the field of European Security – will present to us their perspectives on these issues.
I believe the great expertise of the speakers and the participation of the public highlight a vital lesson that is years in the learning:
Today’s presentations will be complex and multifaceted, but their goal will be to dispel rather than reproduce the impression that foreign policy is an esoteric activity.
This conference is a golden opportunity to prove that although foreign policy is by definition implemented by professionals, it is also an aspect of government policy that, like any other, must remain as open and transparent as possible, always bearing in mind its role in national security.
With this, I thank you for your attention and warmly thank Minister Grushko for his personal involvement and his team for the excellent cooperation with our colleagues in organizing this Conference and the speakers for accepting our invitation.
Thank you.
May 17, 2011