I am particularly pleased with the results of the first ever visit of a Greek Foreign Minister to Argentina and I would like to express my gratitude to my colleague, but also to the President of Argentina, who did me the great honour of holding a lengthy discussion with me on the Greek-Argentinean and the Argentinean-European relations.
We had an extensive exchange of views, first of all at the political and economic levels, but also at the level of relations between Argentina and the European Union, especially on the issue of the signing of the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
Aside from that, I had the opportunity to express Greece’s gratitude to Argentina and to my colleague for Argentina’s support both in our campaign to be elected member of the United Nations Security Council and for today’s statement that Argentina will also support us in our effort to be elected member of the Human Rights Council.
We consider Argentina to be a natural interlocutor and partner in Latin America, both for Greece and the EU. It is a country that adheres to International Law and is a signatory to the International Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Moreover, there is an important Greek community here in Argentina, which is a natural bridge between the two countries. Although the geographical distance between us is large, there is a huge cultural proximity between Europe and Argentina.
I would also like to seize this opportunity to state that Greece will continue to assist victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria with all of its resources. My country is a country of principles, and those principles require us to be present in the societies that are being tested at all times and to do everything we can to alleviate human suffering.
In conclusion, I would like to express again my gratitude to my dear colleague for his most warm hospitality. I believe the warmth of that welcome was worth the wait of 200 years. Thank you very much.