Ο Υφυπουργός κ. Κωνσταντίνος Βλάσης εκπροσώπησε την Ελλάδα στην 23η Υπουργική Σύνοδο μεταξύ των κρατών – μελών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και των κρατών της Νοτιοανατολικής Ασίας (ΕΕ-ASEAN), η οποία διεξήχθη διαδικτυακά και φιλοξενήθηκε από τη Σιγκαπούρη.
Αναλυτικά η ομιλία του Υφυπουργού Εξωτερικών:
Honorable Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be with you today, at the 23rd Ministerial EU-ASEAN Meeting, a long-awaited meeting for both our communities.
Dear Ministers,
The lives and the livelihoods of our people have been seriously affected by the current pandemic. Connectivity between nations has many advantages but also carries dangers such as the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. This is why we welcome our new, strong commitment on Connectivity: it is a fine balance between opening the roads for trade and investment as well as bringing in confidence and solidarity, starting with the support to the post-pandemic recovery process and generalized access to the vaccine.
As a global shipping power, located at a crucial crossroads between three continents, Greece is ready to facilitate this connectivity, and to become the economic and trade gateway of the ASEAN countries to the Balkans and Europe. We are hoping to do so through the strengthening of the EU-ASEAN Partnership as well as through our participation to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation with the ASEAN countries.
As maritime nations and cosignatories to the UNCLOS, we share common values and principles, as well as an equal commitment to International Law, in particular the Law of the Sea. Maritime security in accordance with the standards of the International Maritime Organization is equally important for our people and vessels: as a country of origin of one of the biggest merchant fleets worldwide, we share a strong interest in securing free and safe navigation, facilitating trade but also tourism, cultural exchanges as well as people-to-people contacts.
Our new connectivity presupposes an energy policy that is sustainable for our people and for our natural environment. Greece is firmly committed to the global efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement objectives and the target of climate neutrality, aiming to phase out all lignite power plants by 2028 and increase the penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) for electricity production up to 60% within the next decade. At the same time, opening energy corridors such as the Trans ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) but also and the Southern Corridor, including the Trans Adriatic Pipe (SCP-TANAP-TAP) passing from Central Asia through our Greek-European borders to the markets of the European Union will facilitate growth and trade.
Last but not least, we strongly support the ASEAN-EU Dialogue in Science and Innovation, that will facilitate growth and the opening of the digital corridors for the strengthening of our relations. Let the digital route be the new “silk route” of communication between our countries, our cultures and our peoples.
Thank you.
