D.AVRAMOPOULOS: I had the pleasure today to welcome here at the Ministry of National Defence, my friend and counterpart, Zekerijah Osmic, Defence Minister of the friendly country of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina are two neighbouring countries which have developed strong ties. Ties that are based on a common perception, as it was confirmed today, about the international relations, the need for all European peoples to go on together in building our common European home.
Bosnia-Herzegovina is a country that has deeply experienced the damage caused by a Europe that cannot react in a united and determined manner. And the memories of those difficult years are still recent.
Today, more than ever, when the threat to the regional and global instability emerges again we must not forget about the lesson that Sarajevo taught to all peoples of the world.
No more intolerance, no more violation of International Law. No more Europe without voice, without vision and plan for our neighbourhood and for the entire world as well.
Minister and my dear friend, our relations are based on mutual confidence, mutual respect, solidarity, friendship and both we and the Bosnian government wish to enlarge further and reinforce our cooperation in all fields.
Greece supports Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic perspective strongly and steadily and I hope that its efforts to implement the necessary reforms to this direction will soon yield the sought and expected fruits.
Our will is to cooperate also in the framework of the existent regional cooperation schemes, to reinforce the regional grid of stability and cooperation.
Today, when the difficulties of the crisis push us towards national entrenchment and euro-scepticism, Bosnia-Herzegovina, with its recent tragic history, warns us that raking up old issues and rivalries will turn difficulty into a tragedy.
For us, therefore, for Greece, which has assumed the presidency of the EU during this semester, ensuring Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic perspective is an obligation of the Euro-Atlantic family and an active compensation for Europe’s inaction in early ‘90s.
Your visit to Athens today is very important: as I had the opportunity to say it also during our talks, it marks a new beginning and inaugurates a new chapter of cooperation between our two countries, confirming our determination to cooperate more closely in deepening and reinforcing our bilateral relations in the field of defence and not only.
Greece possesses one of the most reliable defence systems in Europe and we are willing to provide our neighbours with our experience, our know-how and infrastructure.
We remind you that our Hellenic Military Academies are open to the personnel of the Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tens of personnel of the Armed Forces already attended our Academies. They left the best of impressions to us and I am sure they have had the best impressions from Greece.
As far as Greece is concerned, despite the financial crisis we are going through, we remain a factor of stability and security for our region and ever farther. And in this context, Greece will hold the Extraordinary South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial subject of which will be the defence cooperation, focused on the field of defence industry.
Dear minister and friend Zekerijah,
I would like to thank you personally, as well as your delegation for the very useful and fruitful talks we had today.
I am convinced that reinforcing our bilateral contact will open new prospects to security and prosperity, not only for the peoples of our two countries, but for the peoples of the wider region of South-Eastern Europe as well.
Minister, my dear friend,
I thank you again and I ask you to have the floor.
Z.OSMIC:(unofficial translation) Minister, dear friend, thank you. I thank you and the Hellenic Republic for the invitation for me to visit your country. I am happy to have come here from my country, where temperature was 5°C, on such a beautiful day. As beautiful as will be all days in the future as far as the defence cooperation of our countries is concerned.
I am happy to be in the country that presides the Council of the European Union and supports Bosnia-Herzegovina’s course to the European Union and NATO.
We will meet the criteria very soon to join two very important families of which your country is a member-state.
I will remind that Bosnia went into calm waters about 19-20 years ago and, as you said, Minister, although there are still traces of the past we try to set them aside and put them in order. We look after our future and our citizens’ future generations.
Bosnia-Herzegovina participates in peace support missions where we have received many positive comments and praises for our capabilities.
Minister, I wish once more to thank you for your great contribution, for everything you have done and you announced that you will do for us. We have always been and we will always be close to Greece, a friendly neighbouring country. I thank you once more on behalf of Bosnia-Herzegovina and of the Armed Forces of the country.