W. HAGUE: Thank you very much and good afternoon. It’s been a great pleasure this afternoon to have my friend and colleague and partner Dimitris Avramopoulos here today and welcome him very strongly to London.
He is determined as I am determined to intensify the links between Greece and the UK to make sure that we are working together on all of the regional and European issues that we face together. So we had a good discussion today about the Middle East peace process and the importance we attach to that and to the two-state solution, to the terrible crisis in Syria and the need to come to a political solution there and assist in every way we can for the humanitarian suffering in the region.
We discussed the enlargement of the European Union in the Western Balkans and the need for reform in Europe in a way that helps all of our economies to succeed. And the excellent and strong historic relations between the UK and Greece that we are now determined to build on, I think in a steadily improving atmosphere of cooperation and sharing ideas. So I’m very grateful to Dimitris for being here today and thank you very much indeed for this discussion.
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I very simply confirm what my good friend William said. Allow me to express my thanks for this very, very warm welcome in the city of London. But what was more important was what we really did today. A new beginning is taking place in our bilateral relations.
As William said, Great Britain and Greece historically always shared excellent relations. We are the two edges of Europe but we work together within Europe, for the future of Europe.
We talked about the Middle East, we talked about Syria, we talked about the economic crisis in Europe, and we have decided to work closer in the future in order to contribute to all these efforts to solve all these problems.
So a new chapter in our relations has been opened. I invited William to visit us, to accompany 2.5 million British citizens that have decided to come to Greece this year, and we believe, William, next year there will be even more. In Greece they find a very hospitable environment. They enjoy our hospitality. At the same time we have extended our invitation to your businessmen, to your investors. We have created a very friendly and hospitable environment for doing business in Greece. The economic crisis has put us in front of great responsibilities. We are changing the country, we are changing everything. And in this new beginning we want the British to be – as always – close to us. So in this spirit of solidarity and friendship, we decide to work together, and I want to express to you again my thanks, and I look forward to seeing you in Athens soon.
June 6, 2013