Greece, 2001

Allow me to

congratulate the President, Mr. Han Seung-soo, on his

election and also to express my deep appreciation to

his predecessor, Mr. Holkeri, for his excellent work

during the past year.

The nations that constitute this Organization are

today attempting to draft a comprehensive convention

against terrorism, a difficult but absolutely necessary

task. We may not yet agree on how to define terrorism,

however the world, with a near unanimous voice,

condemned the 11 September events. The world

showed solidarity with the American people, the

United States Government, and President Bush. That

highlights a simple truth and a profound consensus, a

consensus that this was an act against humanity, a

consensus that this was a crime against the values we

hold dear as human beings and as societies, and a

consensus that justice must be done.

From the ruins of this tragedy there rises a

newborn moral strength, a clarion call to change this

world, a call to create a moral order, a world

community of values where a genuine sense of justice

can prevail. It is in our hands today — in fact it is our

responsibility to rise to this occasion, take a bold step

beyond our traditional rivalries and consolidate a new

spirit of cooperation. Let us make this a common fight

for humanity. To do so we need not abandon our

national interests. We do, however, need to place them

in a wider context, a world order based on common

practices, shared principles and global values. We must

go beyond rhetoric. That also means that our

responsibilities must reach beyond our borders.

Whether it be a child who is suffering from AIDS in

Africa, an Afghan refugee facing starvation, or a

human being discriminated against because of race, sex

or religion — these are today our shared

responsibilities. Whether it be our threatened

environment, the need for sustainable development, the

need for equal educational opportunities, access to the

Internet, or the inclusion of the poor in the fruits of

development — these are today our shared

responsibilities. Nuclear weapons proliferation,

weapons of mass destruction and the protection of

children in conflict situations — these also are today

our shared responsibilities. No events could have made

it clearer than did those we witnessed with horror on 11

September. We live in one world and no problem is

only our neighbour’s problem, it is also our problem.

That underlines the need for a universal response

to the challenges that the citizens of this global village

face. It underlines the need for standards concerning

principles and practices that guarantee justice — from

the Middle East to Cyprus, to Afghanistan and to

Kosovo. The need for these principles underlines the

pivotal role of the United Nations. I should like to

express our warm support, respect and gratitude for the

tireless efforts of Kofi Annan. Heartfelt congratulations

to him and to the Organization he represents, the

United Nations, on the award of this year’s Nobel

Peace Prize. It is a well-deserved accolade, an accolade

that carries with it a heightened sense of responsibility

to provide global governance in this globalized

world — a world of global problems and global

opportunities. Greece very much agrees with the words

of Louis Michel, speaking in his capacity as President

of the European Union, in support of the International

Criminal Court and the continued reform of the United

Nations.

Today in our search for justice on a global scale,

our challenge is to seek moral clarity. We must be able

to unite around what is right. The words “freedom”,

“democracy”, “human and minority rights”, “equality”,

“peaceful resolution of conflict”, “solidarity”,

“inclusion”, “open society”, “multiculturalism”,

“tolerance” and “biodiversity” must all become the

core of our common values. Yet there are different

interpretations and different practices in our world

concerning these concepts. In our search for a common

moral code we must not allow a clash of cultures. We

must seek a dialogue of cultures, and from this

dialogue of nations, cultures and religions, a common

moral code and order can and will emerge. The Charter

of the United Nations embodies these values. Our

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challenge today is collectively to give practical

meaning to them. I should like to mention an important

step in recognizing and respecting the dignity and

diversity of our cultures in the world. Greece has tabled

a resolution on the return of cultural property.

Greece has always stood at a crossroads of

cultures. Our best moments have been when we used

that richness to learn. Today we are doing so again.

Greece is a member of the European Union and of the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, yet its roots in the

East enrich us in equal measure. We are proud to be

European and Balkan and Mediterranean. We once

were a nation of emigrants and our diaspora has linked

us to all corners of the earth. Today we are a country

that welcomes immigrants. They make up more than 10

per cent of our population.

Ours is an open, multicultural society in the truest

sense of the word. We see and we understand the world

through many eyes. We understand that there are

different truths and different histories. Yet we approach

our traditions not as a wall that isolates us from each

other, but as depositories of knowledge and sources of

understanding and communication between cultures.

We believe that our histories cannot enslave us, they

must become our way of learning for the future.

This commitment to dialogue is also a

commitment to reach specific, practical results that will

enhance our region’s ability and the world

community’s capacity to establish well-respected

values and principles in dealing with world problems

such as terrorism. But in our fight against terrorism we

must uphold these principles, as they differentiate us

from those who use violence as their means. We must

also heed what the Secretary-General in his address

stressed. The problems we all shared prior to 11

September have not disappeared. However, I am

encouraged to report that we have made significant

strides in our own region of South-Eastern Europe. We

did so by committing ourselves to serve these values:

human and minority rights, democratic institutions,

good-neighbourly relations and the inviolability of

borders. We remain committed to the principle that

should differences and disagreements emerge, we will

seek to resolve them peacefully with respect to

international law. We have managed to establish the

framework of common values, one that will help us to

cooperate to solve our problems. Emerging from a state

of despair, the Balkans today represents a ray of hope

for all regions in conflict.

Of course there is much to do. Let me list the

priorities. We must turn provisional peace into

permanent peace. We can do so by resolving

outstanding bilateral issues. We must turn new-found

democracies into permanent and active democracies.

We can do so by building civic capacity and strong

transparent institutions that will guarantee the rule of

law. We must contain and eradicate organized crime, a

poison that runs through new-found democracies and is

often linked to terrorist networks. We must turn

opportunistic capital investment into entrepreneurial

initiatives and permanent business propositions that

provide youth with the prospect of a better and more

secure future. We must turn segregated communities

into multicultural societies, and we can do so by

investing in education. Greece has committed

resources, and of course its political will, to the above.

We cannot stop now. As a world community we must

continue and we must strengthen our investment in

people and in financial resources until our work is

complete.

Two years ago I stood before you here with my

Turkish colleague Ismail Cem, expressing the hope for

a new beginning in our relations, relations which

history seems to have frozen into constant rivalry and

conflict. Today I need not express only hope; I can

report that we have made significant progress. I have

just come from a meeting with my Turkish counterpart

where we signed a series of new agreements. Our

meetings have become frequent and regular. We work

together. We learn together. We help each other out in

times of difficulty and crisis. We have discovered the

importance of being good neighbours. We have started

to develop a common architecture of trust. The

products of our efforts are significant. We are

constantly adding confidence-building measures to

assure peace in the Aegean.

We have made a commitment to jointly become

parties to the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of

the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-

personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, and we

have taken steps to cooperate against natural disasters.

We are cooperating in the fight against crime, drug

trafficking, illegal migration and terrorism. We are

cooperating in tourism. Our trade has doubled. Energy

and agriculture have emerged as new fields of further

cooperation. Our two societies have taken the initiative

to commence and develop common economic, cultural,

educational and athletic activities.

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These achievements stand as a reminder of the

response of our people after the earthquakes, when they

sent us a message saying:

“We have more in common than what separates

us; we are all equally vulnerable to pain and

suffering; equally capable of sympathy and

compassion; equally responsible for the life we

offer to the generations that are to follow.”

Again this year Greece and Turkey will jointly submit

a draft resolution on emergency disaster relief. Our

neighbour’s path towards the European Union, a path

we wholeheartedly support, has set a new framework

within which many of our remaining differences can be

resolved. Step by step we are building a solid

foundation.

Of course our work in the region is far from

complete. The architecture of trust we are building in

South-Eastern Europe is significantly hindered by the

situation in Cyprus, for the question of Cyprus remains

unresolved. The island remains divided in a shameful

condition. Cyprus is a tragic example of where our

shared sense of justice, our code of values, has gone

astray. Yet here is a new opportunity. Both the Greek

Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities could

benefit from the island’s membership in the European

Union. It is a win-win situation. I sincerely believe that

every Greek aspires to a solution on Cyprus that will

satisfy both communities, a solution imposed by no one

party and accepted by all. I believe that that is what

every citizen in neighbouring Turkey aspires to as well.

Our constant reference to United Nations

resolutions that clearly call for the creation of a

bizonal, bicommunal federation cannot be interpreted

as a desire for outside imposition — both communities

have suffered terribly from outside intervention. On the

contrary, this call expresses our deep belief in justice

for Cyprus, a sense of justice for both communities.

That is what the United Nations framework can

guarantee.

I therefore appeal to the Turkish leadership to use

that framework for a just solution. Let us not expand

the wall that divides the two communities in Cyprus to

divide Turkey from Europe. Let us instead break down

this last Berlin Wall in Europe and help to create a

common future for the citizens of a free Cyprus. To all

of us in the region, a region seeking to eliminate

division, the prospect of the island’s entrance into the

united European family should be a source of euphoria,

not fear.

If we do share a common moral order, a common

understanding of what is right and wrong, then the

Middle East peace process had come close to

articulating the principles we share. For the good of the

people in the region and its stability, that process must

continue until a Palestinian State lives peacefully next

to a secure Israel. That peace process must begin anew,

without preconditions, based on secure initial steps

through the implementation of the Mitchell report

recommendations. Greece, as both a member of the

European Union and a neighbour to the Middle East,

will commit its efforts in this crucial situation towards

the support of peace, rapprochement and reconciliation.

We also hope that the hardships of the people of

Iraq will cease and that the country will be fully

integrated into the world community under a leadership

that cooperates with the international community and

complies with United Nations resolutions. That is also

our stand with regard to Afghanistan. We look forward

to the day that its Government represents its people and

leads them closer to the world community. Here,

Greece has already committed substantial resources

towards alleviating the humanitarian problem of the

Afghanis.

At times when it is easy to succumb to fear we

must have the strength to build confidence within and

among our societies. We must be able to celebrate

humanity in this global village, to go beyond our

differences and conflicts. One such occasion is the

Olympic Games. They are an ancient tradition that

grew out of the need for peace in the ancient world of

Hellenism. Today the five rings of the Olympic Games,

which represent five continents, are the most

recognized symbol on this planet, surpassing any

commercial logo. Let us use this global celebration to

further strengthen our community of common values.

Let us again pledge our commitment to the Olympic

Truce which the Secretary-General has so strongly

supported and the Millennium Summit has called for.

Ismail Cem and I have only recently signed a

declaration to this effect. Many ministers of the

Balkans, Europe and the Mediterranean have followed.

I invite all to become co-signatories.

We see that Truce as a moment in time powerful

enough to change the world. During the ceasefire in

Bosnia the Olympic Truce helped the Red Cross to

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vaccinate hundreds of children. The two Koreas

parading under the same flag at the Sydney Games was

a powerful moment, witnessed by millions around the

world. We see truce as a time to reflect. We see truce as

a moment of silence. We see truce as a time to

question, to examine what we believe. We see truce as

a time to heal our wounds. We can use this pause from

violence to celebrate and to rejoice, and we can use it

to mourn and to remember. In Salt Lake City we can

use it to honour all those unjustly lost. If our global

quest for peace is a journey of 1,000 miles, then truce

is but the small first step. But imagine how glorious the

rest of our journey can be if we celebrate humanity, if

we give peace a chance and commit ourselves to that

first step.