Today is a great occasion for NATO. We have two reasons to celebrate. The first is the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO, an alliance that has contributed positively throughout the ages to security around the globe and to the establishment of peace and prosperity.
We also have Sweden's accession. I was happy to see the Swedish flag at NATO headquarters. I think it is a historic moment for NATO. Greece has been supportive in the first instance, and we are very happy that in the last twenty years, NATO has essentially doubled its members. This is a very positive sign for peace and security in the world.
We are going to address the issue of Russian aggression against Ukraine. We are very concerned with the current situation. We need to establish sustainable formulas to support Ukraine further against Russian aggression.
We also need to address issues concerning the Southern Neighbourhood. As you can see, there are continuous aggressions in the Southern Neighbourhood. We have to see how the situation goes with Gaza, especially its spillover effects in Syria, Lebanon, and the Red Sea, which are of huge importance to the world.
Of course, there are issues concerning modern types of security, such as cyber security and protection from misinformation and disinformation.
NATO has a key role to play. In Greece's mind, it is important to further enhance the relationship between NATO and Europe. Transatlantic cooperation is of utmost importance in order to preserve global values such as democracy, the rule of law, international law and obviously human dignity and humanitarian law.
Thank you.
April 3, 2024