Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos met today, Wednesday, 5 November, with the Foreign Ministry’s new Ambassador-at-Large, Giorgos Hatzimarkakis. Below is the transcript of the joint statements they made following their meeting:
E. VENIZELOS: Mr. Hatzimarkakis is an extremely experienced and European politician who had an impressive career in German politics and represented Germany for years in the European Parliament. Of course, now he is active in Greek public life. But he had the courage, a few days ago, to accept the government’s invitation for enlisting all of the national forces, now that we are fighting to complete the adjustment programme, to exit the Memorandum, the troika and the crisis, and to pass into another phase, now that there are very serious problems and challenges in the field of foreign policy and security and defence policy.
I was very impressed by this stance on his part. I invited him, we talked, we had another meeting, I proposed that he enlist in this effort institutionally, within the Foreign Ministry, in the capacity of ambassador-at-large, because with his experience and contacts, he can help the country on European strategy issues, on a bilateral and multilateral level, with emphasis, naturally, on issues of economy and growth.
Mr. Hatzimarkakis accepted the invitation, and thus I have already signed the Draft Declaration, which I submitted for the signature of the President of the Republic, for the appointment of Mr. Hatzimarkakis as Ambassador-at-Large. But Mr. Hatzimarkakis is ready to undertake all of the necessary missions abroad, under my instructions and in cooperation with the services and missions of the Foreign Ministry. I am pleased that we are gaining this additional dynamic in our foreign policy, because Mr. Hatzimarkakis can contribute nationally, and I thank him in advance for answering this call. I wish him every success in his new national duties.
G. HATZIMARKAKIS: In the critical period of exiting the Memorandum, Greece must expand its alliances in Europe. It is the time of ongoing negotiations in Europe, on all levels.
At this time, I undertake the duty to utilize for my homeland the knowledge, experience and contacts that I have gained over the past 20 years, in Brussels and Germany. I am setting out on a path of responsibility for the homeland. Like every Greek, I feel pride in this. I promise only to work very hard. Tha
November 5, 2014