Dear Colleagues,
The budget debate is a process of intelligent dialogue.
All of us, at least the vast majority of those of us in this room, have a clear perception of what went wrong in previous years.
And it is our duty to eliminate what drove the country and society into the ten-year economic crisis that we are emerging from.
The new government can endeavour to do this.
We can transform Greece into a magnet for investments.
We can strengthen SMEs.
We can provide incentives for the creation of new jobs.
We can transform Greece into a space of innovation.
A space where words like “startup” and “incubator” will be in the day-to-day vocabulary of young people.
We can create the thousands of new jobs that are needed
to bring back many of those who left the country during the crisis.
Through a growth model primarily aimed at creating:
Well-paid jobs for everyone.
In a modern framework that supports employers and, necessarily, employees.
In a society where all citizens have the opportunity to create, to dream of a better future, to feel secure and enjoy the things every well-governed European state should provide.
The new government’s policies are designed to achieve this, and this objective is served by the budget that has been brought before Parliament.
I now come to the foreign policy portfolio Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis honoured me with.
Allow me, dear colleagues, to say the following:
As you know, the situation is now more complicated than it has been for decades:
Complete instability in the Eastern Mediterranean, problematic accession perspectives of our northern neighbours – the Thessaloniki Agenda in doubt,
implementation of Brexit, the migration issue, new EU policies, NATO identity crisis,
tensions with our eastern neighbours escalating to unprecedented levels.
The Greek state is being called upon to take new stances in the face of new challenges.
To do this effectively, it needs to abandon the stereotypes of the past.
Dear colleagues, we can agree on something fundamental.
Inaction is not a policy, and burying your head in the sand is not patriotism.
It is a time of choices, it is a time for taking responsibility, and, if need be, it is a time for bearing political cost.
We must also move ahead in a spirit of national unity, based on acceptance of the existing and realistic parameters.
To us, all MPs, all Greeks are patriots.
The Mitsotakis government and the MPs that support it do not take it upon themselves to decide who is patriotic.
Unity is a necessary factor for national survival.
Unfortunately, Greece does not have the existential luxury of other European countries.
Greece and Cyprus are the only states in the European Union facing a national security problem due to the aggressiveness of their eastern neighbour.
It is our government’s aim to consolidate the achievements of national consensus on the main lines of foreign policy.
Achievements built on the historic decisions of Konstantinos Karamanlis concerning the country’s European and western nature.
Achievements that have been preserved and vindicated, irrespective of the radically different ideological roots of the parties that have come to power over the years.
Participation in NATO.
Strengthening of our relationship with Israel.
Deepening of the European perspective.
Consolidation of our role in the Balkans.
Strengthening our influence in the Arab world.
Through this foreign policy ‘infrastructure’, we adapt our national strategy to the demands of the times.
Already, in the first five months:
Greece has re-established itself at the hard core of the EU.
It does not see disagreeing with the common positions of the Union to benefit third countries as an end in itself.
Thus, we can – and have done this successfully – call for EU solidarity in dealing with issues of national significance.
Balkans:
-We are repositioning Greece as a stable and powerful European country, as a pillar of stability.
-We are deepening our cooperation with all of the countries in the region, on the bilateral and multilateral levels.
I have already visited Skopje, Tirana, Sofia, Belgrade. I have met repeatedly with my Romanian colleague.
To enhance our political and economic footprint in the region.
-We are lending practical support to the accession perspective of the Western Balkans as a key axis of our policy.
-We are deepening our relations with North Macedonia in the context of mutually beneficial cooperation,
but we have made it clear that we will not tolerate any non-compliance with or misinterpretation of the agreement.
The same goes for Albania, on the condition of complete respect for the rights of the Greek National Minority.
Our goal remains not just to consolidate security and stability, but also to build truly solid friendship between peoples.
It is no coincidence that the Rigas map hangs in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic.
Regarding the Cyprus problem:
From the very first day, the Mitsotakis government has been in very close communication and cooperation with the Cypriot side to safeguard our common interests.
We are endeavouring to deepen our already heartfelt cooperation.
I have met countless times with my Cypriot colleague and friend Nikos Christodoulides.
The coordination of our actions concerns, first and foremost, the efforts to achieve our country’s strategic goal, which is the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
In the context of ongoing talks, a trilateral meeting took place recently between the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, and the two leaders, for the first time since July 2017.
Moreover, in consultation with the Cypriot side, we achieved European condemnation of Turkey’s illegal activities.
The Union’s unanimous reaction translated into sanctions.
According to these sanctions, natural and legal persons
involved in Turkey’s illegal drilling activities will now be denied entry into the EU and their assets will be frozen.
In the face of gunboat diplomacy, we will continue to advocate the policy of international legality.
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations:
We have made it clear to Turkey from the very outset
that our main goal is to promote a policy based on the principles of good neighbourliness,
respect for international law and international treaties.
We made it clear that the framework in which we act is that of International Law,
which does not tolerate provocative actions, threats of war, unilateral claims.
Greece is a European country.
Turkey will not drag us down to the level of Balkan brawler.
We also made it absolutely clear to everyone, in no uncertain terms, that, in accordance with our constitutional duty, we will defend our national space.
Dear colleagues – as you know, I count my words very carefully – if the need arises, even though we can do it alone, we will not be alone.
I now come to the null and void memorandum with the government in Tripoli.
A diplomatic campaign is under way to secure the support of the International Community, of our allies and partners, against Turkey’s illegal actions, which clearly run counter to not only International Law and the Law of the Sea, but also common sense itself.
The recent European Council meeting issued conclusions that fully support Greece’s positions.
The President of the European Council reaffirmed this full support in the press conference.
We had already secured full solidarity with Greece in the Council Conclusions of 3/12.
Moreover, following actions we took, the EU High Representative issued statements of support,
as did France, Holland, Italy, Cyprus, the U.S., Russia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt.
This week, in the context of gaining further support for our positions, I will be visiting Jordan, Saudi Arabia and, again, the United Arab Emirates.
We will continue until Turkey realises that its violations of international legality have but one result: international isolation.
But we will nevertheless continue to maintain an open channel of communication with the Turkish side.
And we will continue to hope – though I must say, with less likelihood of success – that Turkey will choose alignment with the European acquis as the goal of its policy.
With regard to our relations with the U.S.:
We are significantly enhancing our relations with a traditional ally through the approval of an agreement that we signed after two and a half months of intensive negotiations. In a few days, it will be submitted to Parliament for your approval.
As you know, I have met four times, I think, with Mr. Pompeo. In a few days, Prime Minister Mitsotakis will be received at the White House.
With regard to Russia:
In the context of re-strengthening our ties, I went to Moscow and met with Mr. Lavrov. He will be coming to Athens, and the Prime Minister will be visiting Moscow.
Regarding China:
We are expanding our economic and trade relations, particularly in the infrastructure sector.
President Xi was in Athens. The Prime Minister visited Shanghai. I have met three times with my Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
We are becoming active in the emerging economies of Asia, which are connected to the migration issue.
In this context I have already met with the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Bangladesh and with Ministers from countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
With regard to the Arab world:
We are strengthening our ties.
I have already visited the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. We had expanded talks with the Ambassadors of the Arab League member states.
I have met twice with the Secretary General of the Arab League, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and my Qatari counterpart.
We are extending the trilateral cooperation mechanisms with Cyprus to countries of the Middle East.
We will work closely with friendly countries of the region.
Our strong ties and close cooperation with Egypt are being promoted daily on the bilateral and multilateral levels. I have already met four times with Mr. Shoukry.
We are pursuing intervention in the developments in Syria and Libya.
We cannot stand by as mere onlookers as threats to our interests and our sovereign rights develop.
At the same time, we are deepening our relations with Israel on the bilateral and trilateral levels. I have visited Israel. I have met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Katz, who came to Athens.
But our foreign policy has an additional dimension. A dimension that concerns the environment and dealing with climate change. A meeting on the level of Heads of State and Government will take place in Athens in 2020, with the aim of adopting a declaration that will include the Greek proposal for the protection of cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change.
Regarding Economic Diplomacy:
The Foreign Ministry is now, in addition to a foreign policy agency, an economic diplomacy agency.
With the aim of strengthening openness, exports and investments.
In the context of strategic planning, we are reorganizing the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The bill will be submitted right after the holidays. We will fully redeploy our country’s missions abroad to serve the whole of our country’s policy.
We have enhanced the role of “Enterprise Greece” – Parliament has passed the new regulation on its operation.
We will improve the legal framework of the Export Credit Insurance Organization through a new bill, so that we can better serve Greek exports.
Dear Colleagues, in conclusion:
We are proceeding based on specific principles.
New Democracy – the Parliamentary majority, the Mitsotakis government – is determined. It has turned its back on jingoism,
it has turned its back on self-limitation to the stereotypes of populism,
it has turned its back on Balkan provincialism,
on defeatist misery,
the self-pity of the weak,
the illusion of the brotherless nation.
Dear Colleagues,
We are not culturally brotherless.
The vast majority of humanity partakes of the culture that our forebears built, so all humankind – regardless of race, regardless of colour – are potential brothers to us.
Our foreign policy serves this open perception of the world.
It extends a hand of friendship to everyone.
We believe in a European Greece, a modern Greece, an open Greece.
Open to innovation, friendly to its neighbours, a model in its region.
An ambitious Greece,
a proud Greece,
a confident Greece.
An independent and strong Greece with bridges to everyone. A Greece capable of facing every threat calmly and effectively.
In the name of this Greece, we are shaping a foreign policy that bears in mind the new world order of the 21st century.
With a sense of patriotic responsibility and with a sense of national and social consensus and unity.
Thank you very much.
December 15, 2019