Greece

The challenges we face at the beginning of the twenty-first century are immense. We are facing terrible poverty; crises and wars; millions of refugees; the hideous face of terrorism; trafficking in human beings, arms and drugs; and regions decimated by disease as we continue to destroy the earth's ecological balance. There are no simple answers to these problems. But there is a place where we all can meet to find solutions: the United Nations. The world needs a strong United Nations. I have just quoted my Swiss colleague, first of all to celebrate his country's and East Timor's entry into the United Nations, and secondly because I fully agree with his statement. In the words of Kofi Annan: “The more a country makes use of multilateral institutions — thereby respecting shared values, and accepting the obligations and restraints inherent in those values — the more others will trust and respect it, and the stronger its chance to exercise true leadership”. (See A/57/PV.2) I know the personal commitment of my dear friend Jan Kavan, the President, to this principle. Our two countries have worked closely in a common effort to promote peace, the rule of law and shared values in South-eastern Europe. Today we can be proud that we also contributed in changing this region. It is no longer “CNN-able”, as our colleague from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Lagumdjia, said yesterday. Yet this has not been an easy process. Take my country, Greece. In the previous century, we went through two world wars, two Balkan wars and a major war with Turkey, which resulted in millions of refugees and in painful population exchanges. We suffered under civil war, famine and dictatorship. We witnessed the forced division of Cyprus through military invasion and occupation by Turkey, and the recent wars in the disintegrating former Yugoslavia in our backyard. Not far from us, conflict continues. We stand ready to support all efforts to ensure that Israel 17 may be secure and that the Palestinians may have a State they can call their own. It is no wonder that today we cherish the peace we have achieved. It is no wonder that we cherish the fact that Greece today has its most stable democracy in modern history, that we are among the more prosperous countries in the world, and that we will soon be hosting one of the most demanding events humankind has created, the Olympics. This to us is a responsibility. We have learned our lessons. We are where we are today only because of our people's steadfast commitment to work for the shared values of democracy, peace, justice, and human rights. It is no wonder that Greece has become a champion of the enlargement of the European Union, because the European Union is a community of values, and being a community of values is the biggest peace project of our region. We have a responsibility to our neighbours, from Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina, to see them, sooner or later, part of this wider European family — creating a new vision where all can share the values of peace and democracy and be citizens of the European Union. We have learned that at the heart of these conflicts are human beings, as the Danish Prime Minister, Mr. Rasmussen, has said. We have learned that democracy and human rights are fundamental to the life and dignity of all human beings. Whenever our global principles are violated, it is usually in societies and places where extremism and lack of democracy exist. I believe that democracy will isolate the phenomena that we have seen in recent years, such as that of 11 September. We in Greece have also known terrorism. We have suffered at the hands of a small terrorist organization called November 17. Since June, Greek security forces have brought all the key members of November 17 to justice. This formidable achievement was supported by assistance from allied intelligence agencies, to which we are indebted for their support. This experience is just one more example of how close international cooperation can accomplish common goals and protect our common values. It is also a tribute to our long-lasting democratic institutions. In the European Union, we are building not only a community of nations but a community of values. The Greek presidency of the European Union, which begins in January 2003, will promote the values of democracy and peace in every element of its agenda. We want to focus our efforts on reinforcing the trans- Atlantic relationship. We believe that the United States and the European Union share the same democratic values. We must stand united in our efforts to promote peace within a multilateral framework. We also will pay tribute to the cultural diversity that is at the heart of the European project, with a focus on reinvigorating democratic governance by renewing our efforts to build social inclusiveness and civil participation across borders, working with our new neighbours, from the Baltic region to the Mediterranean, from the Atlantic to the Caucasus, a new neighbourhood of peace, cooperation and democracy. In this community of values, I should like to talk about a case in point. A few years ago, the notion of rapprochement between Greece and Turkey was unthinkable. Now, with a common European vision, our Governments are creating a framework to solve existing problems, and citizen's diplomacy is building a bridge of peace between our nations. Athens and Ankara have concluded a number of agreements in areas ranging from energy to tourism, from education to landmines, designed to ease tension and strengthen our common interests. While fundamental differences remain on certain issues, in a short space of time, we have come a long way — and we surely can go further. I welcome my discussion and meeting with the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gürel, and his willingness to continue on this path of rapprochement and peace. Yet our shared values are being sorely tested on the issue of Cyprus. There is now a compelling deadline for a resolution to the continuing division of the island. Negotiations for the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union will be finalized in December. We hope that a free, united Cyprus will join a free, united Europe. Unification will undoubtedly bring greater security and prosperity to both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island. But if a political settlement is not reached, the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus will join alone. Let us therefore work to break down the walls that keep future European Union citizens apart. With the exception of Turkey, the whole world shares a vision for Cyprus as a federal State with a 18 single international personality and a single citizenship, no foreign troops on its soil, and equal rights and security guarantees for both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The vast majority of the Cypriot population agrees that the two communities can and should live together, united by shared values, while preserving their individual cultural identities. We must respect United Nations resolutions on Cyprus. They must be honoured, as my Maltese colleague just repeated. Cyprus is also a critical factor for the stability and security of South-eastern Europe and the Middle East. A solution to this problem, therefore, will widen the area of stability and peace throughout the region. Not much farther away, the situation in Iraq is a challenge for us all. It challenges our respect for international law and our respect for international organizations. Greece vows to act in the way it sees fit to safeguard these valued principles. In dealing with Iraq, our actions must be guided by evidence of a threat to global security, and must be embedded in respect for the well-being of the Iraqi people. We must exhaust all available diplomatic means to ensure that Iraq complies with existing United Nations resolutions, immediately accepts the unconditional return of United Nations weapons inspectors and destroys all weapons of mass destruction. This will free the people of Iraq from the economic sanctions, which are depriving them of their basic needs. We welcome the statement by President Bush. By taking the issue of Iraq back to the Security Council, he has both challenged the Council and empowered it to move forward more effectively and more credibly. Democracy is a value that should not be taken for granted. It must be reinforced to meet new challenges in a globalizing world. In this spirit, Greece launched, in Johannesburg, the first-ever online global poll on sustainable development and the environment. Electronic democracy offers tremendous potential for bridging the digital divide that separates many peoples and individuals, for strengthening civil participation and for enhancing global democratic legitimacy and transparency. We suggest that the United Nations establish a new global forum — an electronic Demos — where citizens could articulate their views, mobilize around the issues that concern them and shape political decision-making, both nationally and internationally. Greece will make good on its commitment to sustainable development by taking concrete actions and identifying specific targets. This year, many countries celebrated the establishment of an institution that was founded on the premise that good global governance must be built on sound global principles. The International Criminal Court represents a commitment by our community of nations that no crime against humanity will go unpunished. Creating a watertight system of global justice which requires all countries to uphold common rules, principles and rights will be an important step towards building a real community of global values. Finally, I would like to say that those values lie at the heart of the Olympic Truce, which was endorsed by the Millennium Summit and the Millennium Declaration. It is global peace initiative which was just recently endorsed by the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. When he signed the Olympic Truce in June, President Mandela said: “The Olympic Games represent one of the most evocative moments of celebration of our unity as human beings in pursuit of noble ideas. Among those ideas is the quest for global peace.” We uphold the values of democracy, human rights, peace and sustainable development; they can enrich us all. They can inspire us and challenge us. They are values that can inspire change in one person, in one community or in a large nation. They are values that can change the life of not just one person, but the world as a whole. These are the values upon which we must build our future and the future of our children.