First of all, I would like to thank our host, Ηis Excellency the President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping, for hosting the first Leaders’ Summit of the China – Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) Initiative.
It is the first time that we meet in this format of Heads of State and Government. Unfortunately we had to postpone our meeting in Beijing as of last April due to the pandemic and for the same reason we are not able to meet in person today.
As you are aware, Greece became a full member of the China – CEECs Cooperation Initiative, the 17+1, in April 2019. It is the newest member to join. It is also the oldest member of the EU to join the initiative.
Honoring our obligations, our commitment, our engagement to host this year the 6th China-CEEC High-level Conference on Tourism Cooperation, organized by the Ministry of Tourism, and the 3rd China-CEEC Expert Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection, which is organized by the Ministry of Culture, is a testimony of our will to be a constructive member of this Initiative.
We are optimistic that, as the health crisis comes to an end, these meetings will be carried out as planned with the physical presence of all the Initiative’s members.
If one thing has been demonstrated by the pandemic it is that overcoming the health crisis and tackling its profound economic consequences requires bold decisions.
This, of course, can be facilitated by partnership, solidarity, understanding and transparency. I believe that the sheer breadth of this Initiative and its multicultural nature can serve in this direction.
But apart from any cultural considerations, in a more pragmatic vein, I strongly believe that investments, trade, and people-to-people ties are among the most effective means when it comes to shaping our world the day after the pandemic.
We believe that this endeavour should be based on fairness, openness and reciprocity, coupled by adherence to international principles and values.
The example of the Chinese investment by Cosco in the Port of Piraeus highlights this win-win approach of an investment initiative that is mutually beneficial to both our countries.
Ultimately, we should reaffirm our commitment to setting up a level playing field for all. In this regard, I personally welcome President Xi’s comments indicating improved market access for all 17+1 members, an issue that I consider to be of utmost importance. And I welcome and we welcome the fact that the EU and China concluded in principle, after long negotiations, the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) in December 2020.
At this point I must emphasize that Greece deeply appreciates the Initiative’s role in countering the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular salutes China’s support to our common effort.
We are looking at overcoming the economic consequences of the pandemic and one of the ways of doing it would be to facilitate tourism and travel in the post-pandemic world. And that is why, Mr President, Greece has launched this idea of a vaccination certificate, which is essentially proof that someone has been vaccinated, as a tool to enable travel to resume and tourists to visit either China or to come from China to Europe. This is a question of particular importance to Greece and we will be looking to work on a bilateral level to ensure that Chinese tourists return to Greece. And if they can provide a certificate of vaccination, we can make sure that this travel will not involve any other additional restrictions.
We are also looking forward to further cooperation as there are many issues we need to tackle and many challenges we face together. Connectivity, innovation and the green economy can play a decisive role in our efforts for economic recovery after the pandemic.
We particularly welcome, Mr President, China’s pledge to aim for carbon neutrality by 2060. And we all know that the challenges of climate change cannot be addressed without further commitment by the world’s largest emitters.
Lastly, as many others have pointed out, February 12 marks the New Chinese Year. I would like to extend to Your Excellency Mr. President Xi and the friendly people of China our warmest wishes from Athens. I am confident that the year ahead will present renewed momentum for further enhancing our relations between our countries and the friendly ties between our peoples.
Xi nian kuai le! (Happy New Year)
