CONSTANTINE AN. TASSOULAS: Mr. President, it is with pleasure that I welcome you to the Presidential Mansion today. Your visit to Athens demonstrates the strong ties between our countries at a time that is critical both for your homeland, Ukraine, as well as, for Europe and the entire world.
Our country, Mr. President, from the very first moment of Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, has stood by your side, as the rest of Europe and the other countries of the European Union, in your great effort, in your struggle to confront and protect your national sovereignty, your freedom and peace.
That is why our assistance during these four years of hardship for your country, along with that of the European Union countries, has developed on all possible levels: political, diplomatic, economic, military, energy and humanitarian.
This stance, Mr. President, was dictated by our commitment to the United Nations Charter and our dedication to international law, which in the case of Ukraine and the Russian invasion were brutally violated.
Our position, however, Mr. President, was also dictated by something else that is very important and very weighty for us. By the trauma of Cyprus. By the fact that Cyprus has suffered a similar blow. Cyprus has been under military invasion and occupation by Turkey for decades, about 40% of the island has been occupied, and it is precisely this case that dictates our position towards your country, because they are identical, distressing international situations.
And, as you know, when issues of principle and values are raised at the international level and in such serious cases, all other relations are set aside, because Greece also, historically, maintained relations with Russia, but in the face of the unprovoked and illegal invasion, our position could not be other than the one we have been demonstrating for almost four years now.
Welcoming Mr. President, here in Athens you and your distinguished team, I would like to provide the assurance that Greece will continue to support your efforts to achieve the earliest possible ceasefire in your afflicted country, a ceasefire that, it is hoped, will later lead to a just and lasting peace, so that this ordeal, this dreadful trial of your people, may come to an end.
And, of course, I would like to emphasize that Greece supports Ukraine in its pursuit of integration into the European Union, under the existing conditionality terms, but it is also your support when the time comes to rebuild your country, so that all the wounds of war can be healed and left behind.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY (from unofficial translation): Your Excellency, Mr. President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you very much for the warm welcome here in Greece. I am very pleased for our meeting, and on behalf of Ukraine, I would like to express my gratitude to the entire Greek people for their unwavering position, the steadfast solidarity during difficult times. And as you said, Mr. President, Greece has been standing on the side of Ukraine for almost four years now in its struggle, and for that we are very grateful.
We would also like to thank the Hellenic Republic because, for more than four years now, Greece has stood by the side of Ukraine regarding its path towards the European Union, concerning its accession itself, but also with regard to the future discussions. So, we thank you, we are grateful that in this area as well, you are by our side and you are supporting us.
You know, Mr. President, winter is coming, a difficult winter in Ukraine, and there are many challenges for Ukraine. The strikes are daily, with drones and missiles. We thank you, first of all, for your political support, but we also thank you for your support in the energy sector. For months now, we have been negotiating the bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.
And today we have a full agenda, and I thank you very much because the meetings have been organized, not only here, but also elsewhere, and I am pleased that we will implement some of our plans for Ukraine’s energy security today, within our rich agenda, and we will discuss its energy security.
Today, we will also discuss an issue that is very important to us, to Ukraine, a humanitarian issue, and we hope for Greece’s support. It concerns the return of the abducted Ukrainian children, who are currently in Russia. They are our children, and we are expecting Greece’s support so that it can take part in the international alliance for the return of Ukraine’s abducted children to their homes.
KONSTANTINOS AN. TASOULAS: Mr. President, allow me to thank you for acknowledging Greece’s support for your country. It could not have been otherwise, Mr. President. On this day, 42 years ago, the secessionist pseudo-state of Northern Cyprus was proclaimed by Turkey. A state in quotation marks, a pseudo-state, which is condemned by the UN Security Council and the entire international community.
Aggressive revisionism, the resolution of disputes through armed force, the violation of international law, is something that Greece cannot accept under any circumstances. That is why you can be certain that our position towards your country and the issues you raised, including the humanitarian issues and that of the abducted children, as well as energy issues, will remain the same, unchanged, on the side of Ukraine.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you.
