CONSTANTINE AN. TASOULAS: Your Excellency Madam President, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Presidential Mansion and meet you again after our last meeting in May in Tirana, on the occasion of the European Political Community Summit. Today, after these few months that have intervened, your arrival in Athens, along with your delegation, confirms the good relations between our countries.
Madam President, Greece and Moldova are linked by strong historical ties, it is well known that the presence of the Greek community in your country historically dates back centuries. It is well known that your compatriots here in Greece, here in Athens, constitute a bridge of communication between the two countries and thus, with these strong foundations, our relationship and cooperation are constantly improving.
My country is committed and dedicated to the independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova within its internationally recognized borders. And it could not be otherwise for many reasons, but mainly because Greece has been living for 51 years with the open wound of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of northern Cyprus, 37% of Cyprus.
Therefore, Madam President, since you are coming to Athens from your visit to Cyprus, that is why the cooperation of democratic countries that embrace the principles of international law is the strongest shield against the strong tendencies observed in our days for the prevalence of revisionist or even nationalist plans, which unsettle the world around us and cause great insecurity. And in the face of this insecurity and this anxiety, the only response of democratic countries is their unity and cooperation.
And I would like to take this opportunity to add that my country, Greece, stands firmly by your side in the pursuit of European integration, to which, in the recent parliamentary elections of September 28, your people and you showed great dedication and perseverance.
And I am certain that your dedication to European integration, despite the very strong, incredible pressures you are facing in the opposite direction, your dedication will ultimately be rewarded and your path towards Europe will be crowned with success, so that stability and security in the wider region where Moldova is located will be further strengthened.
Having been informed by our Ambassador to your country’s capital, Chisinau, Mr. Nikolaos Krikos, for the efforts to improve our relations. I am confident that at your meeting right after with the Prime Minister, you will explore ways to further deepen our relations in the fields of energy, infrastructure, tourism, connectivity and culture.
So, I welcome you once again on this, your first, purely bilateral visit to Greece, and I am certain that we will soon arrange for you to come here on an official visit so that we can welcome you again.
MAIA SANDU (from unofficial translation): Honorable Mr. President, thank you very much for the opportunity to meet you at the Presidential Mansion so that we can discuss the development of good relations, the traditionally good relations between our countries. Thank you very much for your encouragement and for the kind words you said about the Republic of Moldova, and I am certain that you will always be by our side to support us.
And as you said, the Greek community in Moldova and the community of Moldovans living and working in Greece will be of great assistance in realizing our dream of becoming part of the large family of Europe, where we all hope for peace and stability.
In the recent elections held on September 28 this year, the people of Moldova chose stability and our integration into the large family of the European Union. And our country, as demonstrated by the latest analysis, the latest report on Moldova’s progress towards the European Union, is taking significant steps in that direction.
For us, it is essential to be able to have peace, and we thank you very much for your support, for your unwavering support for the path we are taking towards our integration into the European Union.
And I thank you very much for the support you show towards Ukraine, because thanks to Ukraine we can have peace in the rest of Europe.
We are particularly pleased to have this opportunity to discuss and cooperate in the energy sector, which is very important to us. The vertical pipeline that is now being constructed and the entire plan, the entire infrastructure for the implementation of this plan, are very important to us because, as you know, my country was dependent on a single source of energy, and now, with the construction of this vertical pipeline, we will be able to gain access to energy from a second source, as well.
I would like to see more Greek investments in Moldova in the future, both in the energy sector and in renewable energy sources and infrastructure, so that we can achieve better connectivity among Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and reach the shores of the Aegean Sea.
Mr. President, my country is a small country. However, it has proven that it has courage, determination and the ability to stand on equal terms against a very powerful force that tried to influence last September’s elections, and we are always ready to face any pressure we receive from the Great Powers.
Because, Mr. President, Moldova is simply a “testing ground” for Russia, and in this way, it can influence the countries of the European Union. The main target is the European Union and its member states. Therefore, I believe that there must be very good cooperation between our countries so that we can address all these issues.
The Republic of Moldova will do everything in its power to be able to contribute to stability and peace on our continent.
Thank you very much.
