D. AVRAMOPOULOS: We welcome to Athens the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Mr. Sijilmassi, with whom we had a really warm and constructive meeting, during which he briefed us in depth on his work, his mission and the Union’s activities.
As you know, Greece firmly supports – and supported from the very outset – the Union for the Mediterranean and, of course, its Secretary General, Mr. Sijilmassi, and I would like to congratulate him publicly on the initiatives he has undertaken of late for the strengthening of the role of this organization that is so important in our wider region. In fact, we are honored that a Greek former diplomat, Ambassador Varouxakis, has such an important portfolio – the energy portfolio – as alternate Secretary General.
This is an organization of particular political importance, I would say, that gathers all of the countries of the European Union and the Southern Neighbourhood – including Israel and the Palestinian Authority – at the same table.
The Secretary General and I agreed to work together harmoniously and to undertake initiatives within the framework of the Greek EU Presidency, which starts on 1 January 2014, and during which the Mediterranean will have a central position and top priority.
Again, I would like to welcome and thank the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean for his visit to Greece. I am certain that we will continue to cooperate very closely and productively.
In closing, I would like once again to note the important and acknowledged role our country plays in the wider Mediterranean region, and particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, where, under the pressure that is currently being brought to bear by the events accompanying the developments in the region, the importance of this role is even more apparent. So, within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean, Greece really can be one of the main factors for shaping a new environment of stability in our wider region. Again, thank you, and I welcome the Secretary General to our meeting today and on his visit.
F. SIJILMASSI: I had the honor and great pleasure of participating in a very productive meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister, and I want to say how happy I feel to be here within the framework of this working visit to Athens, to this country that has a central, fundamental role in the Mediterranean architecture. To me it was very important, as I start my mission as Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, to carry out such a visit and exchange views and discuss and hear the suggestions and ideas of Greece regarding Mediterranean issues.
These are exceptional times, on both the economic and political level. But it is important never to relax our efforts, to act in a collective spirit, so that we can work together and promote our ideas and the plans we have worked on. Rest assured, Mr. Minister, that the Union for the Mediterranean will always be at Greece’s disposal to carry out plans for regional cooperation, regional joint ventures and regional integration, especially in the Mediterranean region, but also more generally, in cooperation with all the Mediterranean partners.
We are an organization that has the advantage of having partners in both the north and the south. And we are an organization that is made up of equal members, and this gives us the means to strengthen this regional cooperation in the Mediterranean and – within the framework of my activities and the activities of my team, which includes a Greek colleague who is above all a friend – be able to continue carrying out these actions. We hold out great hope and expectations for the 2014 Greek EU Presidency, which will naturally be an important watershed for us, and we won’t wait for 2014 to start working – we will start preparing as of today.
In closing, I would like to offer my personal wishes for every success to the Minister and to this beautiful country that is Greece. Thank you very much.
September 12, 2012