Dear Ministers, Distinguished guests,
I warmly welcome you to Athens, particularly our friends from Ukraine. It is a great honor to host this significant event here in Athens. We look forward to a very constructive session. We all know that the situation in Ukraine still remains a distressful situation of inhumane aggression of Russia against a sovereign state. And we are looking forward to discussing the end of this horrible status and to the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Dear Ministers, dear Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, Honorable Minister Nemchinov,
in a few days, we will mark two years since the beginning of the unlawful and unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine, which, regrettably, continues to this day.
From the very first day of the war, Greece, together with its partners in the European Union, has taken a clear principled stance. We have unwaveringly supported Ukraine, stood firmly by International Law against any unprovoked attack, against any violation of sovereignty, against any revisionist tendencies. We stand in solidarity with the country that is under this assault and will support Ukraine in every possible way in its fight for sovereignty.
Beyond its principled foreign policy, to which our country steadfastly adheres within the framework of International Law, there are long-standing historical ties that justify this stance of the Greek State. Greek citizens have lived peacefully for centuries on the shores of the Black Sea. Hence no one forgets the crimes committed in Mariupol. A city with a Greek name and a significant population of Greek descent. We also do not forget the battles and losses in Odessa.
The Russian military offensive against Ukraine poses a threat not only to European security, but also to global peace and stability, as it flagrantly violates the Charter of the United Nations and the established International Law, both treaty and customary law.
Greece staunchly supports the independence of Ukraine within its recognized sovereign borders. Our position is clear and transparent. No revisionist endeavor can be tolerated in the modern era. The war in Ukraine continues to cause human losses, having displaced millions of Ukrainians and having destroyed essential infrastructure, including significant monuments of universal culture.
Today's Conference, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the European Investment Bank, is part of our country's comprehensive effort to assist in the reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine. The Conference aims to underscore Greece's unwavering political commitment and solidarity with Ukraine, while also acknowledging the significant role of the private sector. The private sector can contribute to Ukraine's green, social, and digital transition as the country embarks on critical reforms in the context of its candidacy as a member of the European Union, the European family. An integration that Greece encourages unfalteringly.
The primary goal of Ukraine’s reconstruction should be the transformation of its economy and society, with targeted modernization initiatives for both infrastructure and the country’s economic, political, and social institutions, on the basis of the European acquis. Sustainable recovery and reconstruction require the active participation of the private sector through investment and business-to-business partnerships. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, Mr. Fragogiannis, is closely monitoring this issue and will be constantly by the side of the interested parties.
The European orientation of Ukraine, the resilience of its society during the conflict, its diversified economy, the significant market size, and the high-quality labor force all signal substantial opportunities for business activity in the country. And of course, we must not forget that Ukraine is also a hub in terms of the food chain, having a significant market share in the circulation of grains that has been affected due to the Russian stance on the grain initiative.
Greece is present in the effort to reconstruct the country and aspires to make a dynamic contribution. Greece boasts numerous enterprises and organizations with accumulated experience and comparative advantage in the fields of reconstruction and restructuring. These sectors include energy infrastructure, construction, shipping, digitalization, protection of cultural heritage, agricultural development, tourism, and many others.
The active engagement of the Greek business community, as well as our public sector in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts will substantially contribute to leveraging the emerging opportunities that will soon arise with the movement of significant funds expected to be allocated by the European Union and its member states. These should be seen as a lever for development, not only for Ukraine but for the broader European area as well.
Distinguished guests, esteemed Delegates,
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend today's conference thoroughly, as we will shortly welcome the Palestinian Foreign Minister.
We have the opportunity, however, to take our share of responsibility for Ukraine, for the Middle East, for all the hotspots that currently jeopardize global stability, security, and prosperity. We have the opportunity to hear about current financing initiatives from European institutions, multilateral development banks, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as from regional and national development banks. The conference will focus on various important priority projects of the Ukrainian side, the planning process for the organizational framework of reconstruction, and the programming efforts of enterprises and organizations.
We are particularly interested in hearing the interventions from our friends from Ukraine, in order to attune ourselves to the needs of the local community, the local economy in relation to this huge project. The international community will stand by Ukraine's just effort to reconstruct itself after the bloody conflict caused by Russia's unprovoked attack. Private-public partnerships and cooperation between enterprises and Member States are the key to Ukraine's reconstruction.
I wish and hope that the sessions will be constructive and that the conclusions will prove useful for the important purpose of Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Thank you very much.
February 15, 2024