CONSTANTINE AN. TASSOULAS: Your Excellency, Mr. President of the friendly nation of Panama, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Presidential Mansion, as part of your seven-day official visit to Greece.
Your presence here confirms and seals the very good bilateral friendly relations between our countries and also reaffirms our shared will to further expand these bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest.
And proof of this commitment is the bilateral agreements that will be signed between the governments of our two countries, primarily on issues of tourism cooperation and on issues of cooperation between our chambers of shipping.
Our countries may be geographically distant from one another, but we are connected by something very fundamental, something vitally important. We are connected by our great shared relationship with the sea, which is, for both of our countries, a fundamental element of our history and identity.
We are also bound by our commitment to the principles of international cooperation, multilateralism, democracy, human rights and free and secure navigation, principles that we share and which, as members of the United Nations Security Council, we promote through this important status that we hold.
Another factor that bridges the distance that separates us, is the significant and historic Greek community in Panama, which dates back more than a century. It may be small in number, but it is historically significant, because the Greeks in Panama have played an important role in science, technology, culture, politics and, of course, shipping.
In times such as these, when we see international conflicts and great uncertainties prevailing and surrounding us, cooperation between countries such as Greece and Panama, which are committed to the security, peace and prosperity of the peoples, is essential to overcome these formidable difficulties.
And with these thoughts in mind, and with this optimistic outlook regarding the improvement of our bilateral relations, I would like to welcome you once again to Greece and hope that your visit here over the coming days will be not only enjoyable but also productive.
JOSÉ RAÚL MULINO QUINTERO (from an unofficial translation): Thank you very much, Mr. President. It is a great honor for the President of Panama to visit this important and great nation. I have known Greece since 1992, when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Since then and up to the present day, while serving as president, I have visited Greece on several occasions in my capacity as a Maritime Law attorney. During these visits, I had the opportunity to build friendly relations with shipowners and colleagues and to reaffirm the great friendship that exists between us.
Panama and Greece share the sea as a common symbol. We may be small countries, but the sea unites us. In our history, we also had a president of Greek descent, a Greek president, Mr. Lakas.
And as you also mentioned, we have a small but very important Greek community in Panama. It is a community whose members are involved in trade and fine dining, but above all, they work together for the common good.
I agree, and I share with you the great responsibilities we bear as members of the United Nations Security Council.
And a year ago, I chaired a Security Council meeting on the topic of security of navigation and the seas.
At the time, we couldn’t see the situation on the horizon that has now developed and poses an obstacle to international cooperation and navigation.
At that time, what I said was that, based on international law and multilateralism, we could resolve the existing problems.
Panama is a country that has a Canal, a Canal that is neutral. It operates under a status where more than 43 countries recognize it and transit through it. The Panama Canal must remain open both in times of war and in times of peace.
Today, we hope that the international situation will stabilize, we hope that peace will prevail, so that the Canal and navigation can operate unimpeded at all times.
We also hope for an end to the conflict in Ukraine, so that the country can move forward in peace and in support of democracy.
In our discussions, we will be able to analyze these matters in greater detail. However, I am here today to explore more effectively how we can cooperate on issues related to navigation and international trade.
Thank you very much for the great honor to be here today as President of Panama, with the aim of bringing our two peoples and our two countries even closer together.
Thank you.
Extended talks between the two delegations followed.
Decoration Ceremony
Thereafter, the President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine An. Tassoulas, in a special ceremony, decorated the President of the Republic of Panama, José Raúl Mulino Quintero, with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer.
In turn, the President of Panama decorated Mr. Tassoulas with the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero, in the rank of Grand Collar.
