The President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine An. Tassoulas participated virtually in the 5th Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit, which took place today in Kyiv.
The intervention of Mr. Tassoulas follows:
“Dear Volodymyr, Dear colleagues,
Thank you, Volodymyr, for inviting me to join you today. I am pleased to participate in this Summit, even if only virtually. Unfortunately, I had to remain in Greece due to pressing commitments.
Allow me first to extend my warmest wishes to you and to the Ukrainian people on the occasion of Ukrainian Statehood Day. It is a celebration of your nation’s history, identity and resilience.
Sadly, this year’s commemoration comes at another difficult moment.
The latest wave of attacks against civilian targets in Kyiv is utterly unacceptable. These deliberate strikes against innocent civilians are a stark reminder of the devastating human cost of Russia’s war of aggression.
Our thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones and with all those who have been injured.
At moments like these, our unity and cooperation matter more than ever.
I am particularly pleased that this initiative continues to grow. Three years ago, we gathered in Athens for the first Summit, convinced that South-Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Moldova should engage more closely on our common strategic challenges.
Russia’s illegal invasion confirmed that our region is far more interconnected than we had previously assumed. Our security, our prosperity and our future are closely linked.
That is why Greece will continue to stand by Ukraine. We must do everything possible to enable Ukraine to defend itself, to negotiate from a position of strength and ultimately to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
We welcome the important decisions taken at the NATO Summit, as well as the continued political momentum generated by the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris earlier this week.
At the same time, we must remain vigilant to prevent the conflict from spilling over into the wider region, as recent incidents have reminded us.
Our common future lies in a stronger and more united Europe. I therefore welcome the recent opening of negotiating clusters with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the concrete progress achieved by our partners in the Western Balkans.
Enlargement remains one of the European Union’s most successful geopolitical instruments. It must continue to be guided by merit, respect for the agreed methodology including alignment with EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy as well as the intergovernmental nature of the process.
Greece will remain a strong advocate of the European perspective of all our partners, including during our forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A more integrated Europe also requires stronger strategic links across our region. That is why connectivity is another strategic priority. Last year, Greece has expressed her ambition to transform the Vertical Corridor into a broader connectivity corridor linking Alexandroupolis to Odesa.
I am glad to see that this vision is steadily taking shape. Together with Bulgaria and Romania, and with the valuable support of the European Commission, we are advancing energy, transport and logistics links that will strengthen Ukraine’s and Moldova’s resilience, enhance security of supply and bring our economies even closer together.
These efforts also support Ukraine’s recovery. Greece remains firmly committed to the reconstruction of your country.
We have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a framework for cooperation in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, and we are already working closely with our Ukrainian partners to identify projects where Greek expertise can make a tangible contribution.
We believe we can be particularly useful in the fields of energy, transport, logistics, innovation, culture and tourism, drawing on our strategic infrastructure in Northern Greece and the capabilities of our merchant fleet.
Dear Volodymyr, Dear colleagues,
Greece has stood with Ukraine from the very beginning, and we will continue to do so. I sincerely hope that the day will soon come when this war is behind us, and when this Summit can devote its full attention to strengthening regional cooperation, advancing connectivity and bringing our countries even closer together on our shared European path.
Thank you.”
