I. ALASANIA: We enjoy the best cooperation with Greece in defence sphere for many years. Today we agreed to move to a new stage of cooperation.
I’d like to extend my gratitude to the Minister and to the Government of Greece for the strong support of Georgia’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders and our membership in EU and NATO. We talked about the progress Georgia has achieved recently, especially the free and fair Presidential Elections that deserved appreciation from the Minister.
Government of Greece is a strong supporter of Georgia in EU and NATO and supports its membership in European family.
D.AVRAMOPOULOS: First of all, allow me to start by congratulating Georgia and its new leadership after having conducted the elections in the best democratic way.
I believe that the political developments here also mark a new beginning that will lead this nation to a more auspicious future.
I would like to express my thanks to my colleague, Irakli, for his invitation to visit the capital city of Georgia, when we met some days ago in the NATO meeting in Brussels. Unfortunately I will be here only for some hours.
But it is not time that produces the big decisions. It is the common will and our determination to upgrade, enlarge and deepen our bilateral relations.
Georgia and Greece know each other only for the last three thousand years only. And we share common values, common traditions. We have met many times in the past and Greece is nourishing a great respect for Georgia. Now the time has come to come closer to each other.
What is, however, the most important is what will bring us together one day within the Atlantic Alliance and Europe. We all know that Georgia is making great efforts in achieving this goal.
But in view of the forthcoming meeting in Vilnius, as I told the minister before and also when we met in NATO headquarters, Greece is in favour and will do its best to provide Georgia with its help towards this direction.
Today we decided to upgrade also our relations in the field of defence.
As you know, Greece, beyond and above the economic crisis, maintains one of the best defence systems in Europe. We have the expertise, the know-how, the infrastructure and we believe that it would be of great usefulness for your defence system to work together.
I extended an invitation to the Minister, but also to the Chief of Staff to visit Greece as soon as possible in order to put the framework of this cooperation.
I am sure you will feel in Athens when the moment comes, Irakli, the same way I feel right now here, in Tbilisi. I really feel like being at home.
So, in this spirit of friendship, of solidarity, of mutual respect and believing that we really contribute, by bringing closer the two countries, to the noble cause of stability, peace and cooperation in our neighbourhood, which is extended from south-eastern Europe to this part of the world, we can really prove that we are determined to work together in the name of all these noble values that are creating a new more peaceful and more cooperative world.
Thanks again for your hospitality and I look forward to seeing you in Athens as soon as possible.