Yesterday evening the Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos delivered a lecture at the Constantine G. Karamanlis Chair in Hellenic and European Studies, at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of the Tufts University of Boston.
Mr. Avramopoulos was welcomed by the Dean of Fletcher School, Admiral James Stavridis who has served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander and he was introduced by Kostas Ach. Karamanlis.
His lecture on “Greece’s new geopolitical role” was attended by members of the Board of Trustees of “Konstantinos G. Karamanlis” Foundation, students and professors of the School, diplomats and statesmen, journalists, as well as members of the Greek community.
The Minister of Defence referred to the following key points in his lecture:
On Greece’s new geopolitical role:
Greece is a pole of stability, in a highly unstable region, in a highly fluid global reality.
The new geopolitical role of Greece is supported by six major elements:
The resurgence of our economy and the return of Greece to growth,
The role that our national defence system plays in the framework of the Atlantic Alliance and the Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, in a region that is crucial for international stability and security,
The strategic importance of Greek ports as trade gateways connecting Europe and Asia,
The position of Greece in the global map of energy, as a knob and as future producer of energy resources,
The contribution of Greece to the integration of South-Eastern Europe in the European Union
And above all, the geostrategic position of Greece as the outpost of western values in a region that is defined by strife and conflict.
On the Cyprus’ issue and recent statements by the Turkish Prime Minister:
Solving the Cyprus issue will not only fully reinstate Greek-Turkish relations but will also give an end to a loose end, that is still an insult for international legality.
The latest just yesterday’s statement of the Turkish Prime Minister, does not only concern Greece and Cyprus, it is in conflict with international law, and the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations and the decisions of the European Union in a crucial stage for Greek-Turkish relations.
As I have repeatedly stated and everybody knows it, the Cyprus issue is the key for the normalization of the Greek-Turkish relations and for the process of the European integration of Turkey.
On the political stability in Greece:
Besides the fact that Greece is at a stage of reconstruction its economy to return to economic growth, it possesses a stable political system that guarantees political stability. A fact, that is asserted by the high level of political responsibility that the main political forces have shown in a difficult period for our country and which is a guarantee for the stabilising role our country plays in the region.
A further proof for the resilience and the maturity of our political system is its coordinated and effective action against the transient phenomenon of Nazi extremism.
On Greece’s stabilizing role in the region:
The western world needs a new strategy for the on-going crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. We need a strategy that will push for democratic reforms and at the same time take into account the specific regional realities. Greece can be the bridge towards a new more realistic western approach in the region.
Beyond and above the crisis, the values upon which modern Greece was built are still valid. The economic crisis did not affect the reliability of Greece as a pillar of regional and international stability.
Our country is a paradigm of consistency in its foreign policy, a paradigm of credibility in its relations with its allies.
The nations of the world and the nations of the region acknowledge and respect this fact.
On Greece-USA relations:
Recently, the relations between Greece and the United States of America have been cemented even further by two new developments: The Euro zone Crisis and the Regional Instability with its main epicentre in the Arab
Muslim World.
The Euro zone crisis brought us closer, because both our countries agree that one-sided austerity is dangerous for global economic stability and progress.
Our countries agree that Europe and the global economic system need a strategy that will lead to sustainable growth.
Regional instability brought also our two countries closer, in the sense that we both agree that it is a primordial need to create a stable international environment governed by the rule of law. International law and international legality must be our strategic compass.