C'est un grand plaisir d'accueillir aujourd'hui à Athènes le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Stéphane Séjourné.
Permettez-moi de commencer par vous féliciter chaleureusement pour la décision du Président de la République française Emmanuel Macron de vous proposer comme commissaire européen pour la prochaine mandature.
Il est certain que vous occuperez ce poste en gardant à l’esprit le bien de notre famille européenne.
Et le fait que cette proposition ait été faite aujourd'hui, le jour de notre rencontre, me fait penser à la citation de Jean Baudrillard “la coincidence de choses heureuses, est heureuse”.
It is a great pleasure to welcome to Athens today, my good friend, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, especially on this significant day, when he has been nominated as the new French Commissioner to the European Commission.
First of all, Minister, I would like to congratulate France for the exceptionally successful organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
And to convey my country's gratitude for the special honor - especially at the closing ceremony - to the ancient Greek spirit, which forged the idea of Olympism.
Greece and France have developed a robust strategic relationship over time, based on common principles and values - the values of the Enlightenment, democracy, and the rule of law.
These principles were the ones that inspired the great French Revolution, a source of inspiration for the Greek War of Independence in 1821.
Similarly, the Greek Constitutions from that era drew inspiration from the corresponding French revolutionary texts, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.
Furthermore, it was Pierre de Coubertin's Olympic vision that united our nations in the 19th century and Robert Schuman's European vision in the 20th century.
France's contribution to Greece's integration into the European Union, under Presidents Charles de Gaulle and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, holds a prominent place.
And, of course, France stood by our side in the challenging times my country experienced, during the major economic crisis.
We collaborate closely bilaterally and at all levels as partners in the EU, and allies in NATO. In the UN, France supported Greece's candidacy for election to the Security Council.
We warmly thank you.
We look forward to close collaboration and coordination of our actions and promotion of common European positions in the Security Council during the 2025-2026 term.
With Paris, we share a common understanding on key issues related to the European and global arena.
We profoundly believe in the European edifice and aspire for "the European Union to not just survive, but to thrive." As R. Schuman aptly said, Europe “would be built through concrete achievements which would first create a de facto solidarity.
The Draghi Report is yet another reason for reflection on the future of Europe and the increasing challenges we face. Your personal contribution from your new position in the European Commission will crucially enhance the competitiveness of the European economy.
We also share a common understanding of the Mediterranean's geostrategic importance and security architecture.
French and Greek initiatives, such as the "Union for the Mediterranean" and today's "MED9" indicate the significance we both place on regional cooperation and regional dialogue.
We also had the opportunity to talk with the Minister about the challenge of migration we face as countries of first arrival to Europe, and about security, progress, and economic growth
We recognize that the Mediterranean is at the epicenter of the climate crisis. Greece is already experiencing its painful consequences. And I must thank France for its assistance in combatting the summer wildfires in Attica.
At a bilateral level we have discussed, as we always do, about migration.
On our part, we emphasize the urgent need for fair burden-sharing within the framework of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Simultaneously, we must address the external dimension of migration and coordinate our actions to combat the networks of traffickers exploiting human suffering.
We discussed with the Minister the coordination of our actions to prioritize those concerning the Pact's implementation.
Amid geopolitical turmoil, we face for the first time a significant number of conflicts in our broader region, such as the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza, instability in the South Caucasus, and an extremely worrying situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in the Sahel region.
We discussed the situation in the Middle East and the immediate need for a ceasefire to stop the humanitarian disaster and further spillover of the crisis.
In the Red Sea, Greece and France closely cooperate in the operation "ASPIDES" to secure freedom of navigation and prevent environmental disaster following the attack on the Greek-flagged tanker "SOUNION".
Greece maintains a stance of principle in Ukraine, as it does in the Middle East. We have condemned from the outset the Russian invasion as an act of revisionism and a flagrant violation of international law.
The Minister has just arrived from Armenia, a friendly country. Greece supports Armenia's European orientation.
We advocate for the peaceful settlement of the dispute with Azerbaijan and the signing of a peace agreement as soon as possible. In this respect, we have offered our good offices to expedite the conclusion of this agreement.
Certainly, key issues that concern us are institutional reform and the future of Europe, which is closely linked to its enlargement.
More than 20 years after adopting the Thessaloniki Agenda, Greece remains an ardent supporter of the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
However, a prerequisite for the success of this perspective is respect for the rule of law and minority rights, as well as the full, and not “à la carte”, compliance with international law.
Regarding the Prespa Agreement in particular, I reiterate that, as an international treaty, it is mandatory, it is legally binding on the contracting parties, and must be strictly adhered to.
I am convinced, Minister, that there is considerable scope to further enhance our already strong relations in the economic sector.
Regarding tourism, in 2023 we had the pleasure of hosting approximately 2 million French tourists in Greece, serving as a true bridge between our nations.
Of course, I could not fail to mention our enhanced cooperation in the field of culture, as well as within the framework of the International Organization of Francophonie.
Permettez-moi un commentaire personnel.
J'ai des liens avec la France depuis des décennies. J'ai vécu dans ce pays, ma thèse portait également sur le droit français et j'ai acquis une expérience significative lors de mon stage au Conseil d'État français, une juridiction administrative suprême qui a servi de modèle à la Grèce. La profonde amitié historique entre nos peuples et mes expériences personnelles me conduisent à la relation de coopération et de fraternité que, Monsieur le Ministre, nous cultivons et développons.
With these thoughts, Minister, I welcome the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Stéphane Séjourné. It is a particular honor that you are here today.
September 16, 2024