The President of the Hellenic Republic, Constantine Tassoulas, addressed the opening speech on Wednesday at the Delphi Economic Forum X.
Referring to the current international situation, he noted: "We support transatlantic ties, while we are at the core of the EU, contributing significantly to efforts for its strategic autonomy, and the de-escalation of the trade war that is harmful to everyone, always advocating for a unified European policy."
As he noted, "in an era in which global upheavals and radical changes are already apparent in both geopolitics and geoeconomics, with a pre-war-style imposition of intense protectionism that is disrupting and worsening the post-war global free economic system, our country is called upon to walk on familiar and tried-and-tested paths."
"In the face of the new reordering of the international security architecture and beyond, Greece remains steadfast in its principles and orientations, but at the same time it further highlights its usefulness towards the emerging new architecture towards partners and allies at the multilateral and bilateral levels," he underlined.
Speaking about Greece's role in Southeastern Europe, he recalled that "we have been recognised in a region of great volatility as a pillar of stability and security, as well as an important energy hub. At the same time, we maintain and cultivate close relations within the complex geopolitical map of our neighbourhood, while we participate, especially as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, in managing the major challenges of our world."
He also stressed that "we remain committed to the value of dialogue and the peaceful resolution of problems on the basis of International Law, including the Law of the Sea. However, we do not only invoke our right to be heard, but also our recognised credibility as an ally and partner."
"The constant deepening of Greece’s existing alliances and partnerships is a necessary, but not the only, condition for our country to be able to meet the contemporary challenges of an uncertain and constantly changing international environment. And let us not forget that these ties had a broader political consensus, or even ex post facto approval, than those who initially disagreed. It must also be vigilant, protect its social cohesion, be always ready for any eventuality, convince its partners, friends, and others of the credibility of its policy, but above all, have sound judgment, so as to soberly and accurately diagnose international developments and adapt to them," the President stated.
Concluding, Tassoulas emphasised: "Greeks are not numerous. But we are - and we are aware that we are - representatives of a civilisation that is no longer just ours: it is Western civilisation as a whole. We come from afar and have gone far in our long history. But always with the awareness that we represent these great values. Today, once again we are called to become both people of our times and people of history in order to face what is called reclassifications in the global arena. As I mentioned, we have done it before. Therefore, we can do it now too!"