DIMITRIS DOLLIS: Mr. Ayalon is the first Minister to visit Greece since the vote of confidence the new government received. Minister Ayalon is an old acquaintance and friend of Greece, ever since he was at the Foreign Ministry, and then Ambassador to Washington, and now, naturally, as Deputy Foreign Minister.
Our collaboration as Deputy Foreign Ministers began when he and I undertook to coordinate the future Greek-Israeli Ministerial Meetings, but the main area where we have collaborated and continue to collaborate is the Greek and Jewish diasporas.
Our people live in various parts of the world, work together, know each other. And today, naturally, we had the opportunity not only to welcome a friend who has stood by us in the past, but also to discuss an interesting proposal that we started discussing in New York.
This proposal is for the first Conference of the Greek and Jewish Diasporas. The two governments have decided to support a meeting of the Greek Diaspora and the Jewish Diaspora in Thessaloniki, in May. These are not meetings that are held just so we can get together. They are meetings that will help us to jointly promote the issues we are dealing with and, naturally, provide an institutional framework – and thus continuity – for this Conference.
Mr. Ayalon and I discussed the potential for Diaspora scholarships for young Greeks and Jews living abroad; scholarships that will provide the opportunity to study in – and experience – Greece and Israel.
The second area we discussed was the G-to-G: our preparations for a meeting of the two Ministerial Councils, as announced by the previous government. Mr. Ayalon expressed the desire that we find, if possible, mutually acceptable dates, prepare the appropriate brief for the Prime Minister, and reply in the near future.
This visit naturally gives us the opportunity to say that cooperation between our two states, our two peoples, is continuing. It is not just cooperation between governments, but also cooperation between Greeks and Jews, whether they live in Greece, in Israel or around the world, and that is why I want to thank Mr. Ayalon, a friend and Minister who is standing by Greece’s side and stood by Greece’s side in the difficult times we had.
Thank you very much.
DANIEL AYALON: Thank you very much Mr. Dollis, it is really a great honor for me to be hosted by you here, as the first Foreign Official of the new government of Greece, in which we have full confidence that will meet the challenges that all of us in the Western world meet today.
Actually, I am here to express our real support and thanks for the people of Greece, for the government of Greece, for the great cooperation that we have. We still remember, wholeheartedly, with great sentiments, how Greece was the first country that gave a helping hand when we had this terrible burning of the Carmel Mountain, which endangered Haifa and other communities. You were there first, and the pilots and firefighters of Greece were the most efficient and we are very, very much impressed.
The cooperation between our two countries is a natural one, since we share the same values and I believe all humanity still has to thank the Greek people for the great gifts that you have given humanity, in terms of philosophy, in terms of arts and science. We, as Jewish people, gave humanity morality and monotheism and faith and I think together, the Greek pillar and the Jewish pillar are the most solid foundations for our Judeo-Christian heritage or Western civilizations.
The fact that we also share the same water and proximity in terms of territorial region, also makes us natural friends and allies, as we very much intend to capitalize on our peoples’ expertise, wisdom and capabilities in developing the region in terms of energy supply, so we can diversify it in terms of renewable energy, science, technology, education, agriculture, commerce and investments, everything which is so very much in need in this new era of know-how and technology and, as Minister Dollis said, we have wholeheartedly agreed on having this, I think, real trailblazing of Greek and Israeli or Jewish cooperation worldwide, putting together our two Diasporas, so we have a great mechanism and institution for cooperation for the benefit of all of us and I believe of all humanity as well, and the G-to-G we will also continue and we very much were assured of the continuity.
Just like a great democracy, when governments change, the values and the practice transcends, continuity will be solid and evident and I also have the honor to invite Minister Dollis to Israel when his schedule permits and I hope it will be in the very near future.
Thank you very much for your great hospitality. Thank you.
November 22, 2011