Summit Meeting of the SEECP

Istanbul, 23 June 2010

Office of the Prime Minister —

Greek Prime Minister’s speech at the Summit Meeting of the SEECP Heads of State / Government

"Thank you, dear President, dear friend Abdullah, and congratulations on your outgoing chairmanship of the SEECP. Congratulations for organising this meeting, the warm hospitality, as always, and your overall excellent work over the past 12 months.

You have been tackling, through a series of important meetings and initiatives, critical issues related to the regional cooperation agenda of SE Europe.

Let me also congratulate our colleagues from Montenegro for assuming the chairmanship for 2010-2011; we wish you every success.

I would also like to congratulate the Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General, Hido Biščević, for his election at this important position for a second term, and wish him the best of success.

Dear colleagues, significant progress has been made in SE Europe, in terms of democratisation, human rights, establishing the rule of law, combating organised crime and corruption, and working towards a more stable and economically viable neighbourhood.

However, political, economic and social problems still persist. As a result, hard work is needed, in areas such as good neighbourly relations, and improving the pace of implementing reforms, which is neither always nor everywhere satisfactory. Furthermore, issues touching on the rule of law, corruption, and organised crime continue to be major priorities.

It is nonetheless within this context I would like insist on the need for a new dynamism in the accession process, because our message is, after all, that the future of the region, SE Europe, lies within the EU. I would like to reaffirm my support, Greece’s support, for Turkey’s full EU membership. We stand ready to cooperate with you, Mr. President, and your government, and to work for the fulfilment of the necessary criteria for Turkey to join the EU.

Let me also remind us of our goal and vision which is to see all Balkan countries become part of the European family.

It was here in Istanbul only a few months ago when I endorsed the idea and promoted our initiative, Agenda 2014, so that we would have a continuation of the Thessaloniki strategy with renewed dynamics.

Why is this important? First of all, to communicate a strong political message and create the necessary political will. In addition, to further intensify reforms in the candidate countries as well as to renew EU interest in the region, so that we do combat what we have been living with over the last few years, the so-called enlargement fatigue.

But this should also generate a sense of new dynamism in favour of tackling regional problems, as there are still quite a few for us to manage. It is within this context that both I and Nicolas have taken initiatives and made new efforts to deal with our outstanding problem, certainly always in the framework of the UN mediation process. Greece stands ready to find, as soon as possible, the necessary mutually acceptable solution.

This is not only important for our bilateral relations that are otherwise very good, but it is also important as a strong signal for the region.

Last but not least, this initiative is of great significance, as you, President, have stated we have so much to contribute to the European Union. Ours is a dynamic region. And that, I think, we can capitalise on. We are the ones that still remain champions of the European Union, whereas in other parts of Europe there is a lot of euroscepticism.

It was thus with satisfaction that I noticed that in the past nine months EU-Balkan relations were once more placed high on the European Union agenda. Indeed many EU partners have proceeded with initiatives with a view to strengthening cooperation with our region. Commissioner Fūhle himself made a personal effort, which I’d like to thank him for.

There was a high-level meeting in Sarajevo earlier this month, where the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to the European prospects of the Western Balkans. Of course the road to the EU is challenging; it is a difficult Odyssey to Ithaca, if you will, the completion of which requires a genuine commitment to democracy, the rule of law, protection of human and minority rights, as well as good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

I’d like to reiterate once more that Greece is fully committed to this endeavour, aiming at bringing peace, stability and prosperity all over Europe for the benefit of all peoples in the region.

We do support the ultimate goal of a visa waiver programme for the citizens of all Western Balkan countries, as this was also clearly highlighted in a European Commission recommendation dated May 27th. No doubt the visa waiver program has indeed been a most concrete deliverable, contributing to the Union’s positive image, and its overall visibility across the region.

All the peoples of the Western Balkans, without any exceptions or exclusions whatsoever, should feel and be part of our European family.

Finally, let us extend a warm welcome to Slovenia. Greece has always supported your accession to the SE European Cooperation as a full member. It constitutes yet another very important sign in terms of further strengthening our regional cooperation.

I’m saying this, as it was only some years ago, actually it was at the beginning of this initiative when I was Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, when I recall there was great scepticism concerning cooperation in the Balkans.

There was a number of reasons why: the breakup of Yugoslavia, the violence and horror that ensued meant cooperation was often viewed suspiciously. The legacy of the Cold War had kept us divided, there were many years of ethnic strife particularly in the past century, while disrespect for borders and minorities splintered the Balkans, making us also look like puppets in the hands of greater powers. As a result thereof, the word ‘Balkanisation’ became synonymous with disintegration.

Still, today we are moving towards integration, and this is where the European family and the European Union are of such great importance, as they are putting in place a secure framework for integration, thus making this a true peace project for the whole region. This is where the importance of the 2014 initiative lies.

Europe may be a peace project; yet, it is becoming so much more: It is becoming a new model within a globalising economy faced with various crises, problems and challenges.

The recent crisis in the eurozone, which was triggered by market responses to sovereign debt and not only to that of Greece, of course put our cooperation to the test. It also highlighted the importance of solidarity – and I’d like to thank all of you for the solidarity you have shown to Greece – and the need for common action.

Europe did eventually respond, and this has shown we need more Europe, not less.

But within the framework of this cooperation, as we deal with this crisis of sovereign debt, we have also come to realize that we need to couple the so-called consolidation of our budgets with the flip side of the coin, which is growth and development in Europe.

And this, I think, is where we need to see more investment in SE Europe: investment in infrastructure, communication, transportation, energy, green energy, human capital, green development, for this is an opportunity for growth in the wider area, for Europe.

But it also must be a priority for us – and an opportunity, may I add, given our partnership- to strengthen our economic cooperation. And this will be a significant response to the crisis we are facing, but also a huge opportunity to ensure prosperity for our citizens.

With these words, let me just make one final wish: that both Serbia and Slovenia do well in the World Cup."