“Greece is a guarantor of security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the wider region” emphasized the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou
“Greece is a guarantor of security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the wider region, it shares the common values that Europe embodies and strives for their promotion and deepening” emphasized the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulouduring her address at the official dinner she hosted in honor of the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeierwho is making an official visit to our country.
Mrs. Sakellaropoulou, addressing the German President and his wife, noted that their visit is a culmination of the close ties of friendship that connect the two peoples, as well as our constructive cooperation in all fields, and added that she welcomes them with great pleasure in Athens , in return for her visit to Berlin, two years ago, of which she has excellent memories.
At the same time, he said that “Greek and German civilizations have been fruitfully conversing for centuries, with exquisite results in the arts, letters, philosophy, and sciences. Goethe, Hegel, Nietzsche, Mann and so many other German intellectuals were decisively influenced by the ancient Greek spirit, giving humanity timeless masterpieces. Even the Presidential Palace, where we are, is a model of neoclassical architecture, a typical example of Greek-German osmosis, inspired by the great German architect Ernesto Ziller.”
He also reminded that “this year’s presence of Germany, as an honored country at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition, reflects our common will to further strengthen bilateral economic and commercial relations, while our cooperation in the educational, cultural and archaeological fields strengthens contacts between of our people”.
Referring to international developments, she argued that “the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the flare-up in the Middle East, following the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, have made it clear, in the most painful way, that peace it should not be taken for granted” and he added that “we recognize the right of countries to self-defense, but with absolute respect for International Humanitarian Law”.
At the same time, he stressed, contemporary challenges such as the immigration and refugee issue, the climate crisis and increasing accuracy are shaking citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and reinforcing alarming phenomena, such as the rise of populism and nationalism, even inside Europe .
In the same context, he underlined that “the current situation with the emerging geopolitical crises highlight the importance of the energy and strategic autonomy of the European Union, as well as its enlargement. Europe must be able to intervene actively, with a single voice, in international affairs and defend, with its own means, its very existence.”
Regarding the role of our country, he argued that “Greece is a guarantor of security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the wider region, shares the common values that Europe embodies and strives for their promotion and deepening” and added: “Without its national rights, advocates the value of good neighborly relations and the peaceful resolution of international disputes, through dialogue, which presupposes the unwavering respect, by all states in the region, of the principles of the rule of law, human rights and international law . He will continue to do the same in his capacity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the two years 2025-2026.”
In conclusion, he expressed the hope that today’s presence of Mr. Steinmeier in Athens will confirm the high level of bilateral relations and will contribute to the expansion of cooperation in areas of common interest.
With lyrics by Elytis, the Steinmeier greeting
The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, began his opposition, with Odysseus Elytis, by recalling the words of the Greek poet when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979, when he had declared “The only chapter in my hands are some Greek words. They are humble but alive, since they are on the lips of an entire people. They are three thousand years old but cool as if you just pulled them out of the sea (…) It is the word sky, it is the word sea, it is the word sun and it is also the word freedom.”
As Mr. Steinmeier said “Sky, sea, sun, freedom – four simple words, unchanged for thousands of years, with the purpose of describing the soul of his homeland and contributing to understanding the Hellenic Republic, Greece” and clarified that “of course, these four words are not enough to understand Greece. Philosophy, democracy, drama and poetry are four more words that immediately come to mind and are undoubtedly an equally important element of Greece’s identity.”
At the same time, he noted that “it is difficult to find another country, which has more strongly shaped our common European culture, it is difficult to find another country, which, especially we Germans, believe we understand deeply, because we know that a large part of our culture has its roots here. Mentally and emotionally, Greece is much closer to us than it is geographically! The evolution of my country was fundamentally and above all over time influenced by the ancient Greek culture”.
Referring to today, he argued that “we are connected by much more than our shared history and our cultural history. This is demonstrated by my visit, which is representative of the diversity of our ties.”
Afterwards, he expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Sakellaropoulou for the warm welcome she gave him and his wife yesterday in Thessaloniki.
As he noted “it is an expression of genuine appreciation that I have been given the opportunity to begin my fourth visit as Federal President to Your beautiful country with You in Your hometown. The two of us not only share a passion – and I would even say an above average passion – for Constitutional Law, we also share the belief that no country can cope alone with the great challenges of our times.”
In particular, he recalled that “after a period of crises in Europe, some of which burdened our relations, we stand with absolute conviction in favor of closer cooperation in Europe. And it fills me with joy to see – and to feel – here in this place, how Greece and Germany were reunited”. Speaking about economic and wider bilateral cooperation, he emphasized that “our economic relations are close, we cooperate in a spirit of trust both in the European Union and in NATO. But more than that, it is the human ties, it is these travelers of our two worlds, those permeated by both cultures, who unite our two countries, representative examples of which are, among others, the painter Aris Kalaizis, the legend of football Otto Rehagel and the journalist Giorgos Pappas, who accompany me on this journey”.
Finally, he pointed out that “360,000 Greek men and women have Germany as their second homeland. And vice versa, thousands of German men and women have found a second home in Greece. And that is why I have with me today four more words, which I would like to use and which I associate on a very personal level with Greece: it is the word hospitality, it is the word warmth, it is the word trust, and is the word friendship’.
Source: Skai
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