“MinisterYou ExcellencyLadies and Gentlemen, Indeed, I could have been born in Africa. I could have been an African. I could have been one of those many people who live on a continent that has been forgotten for decades by the so-called Western world. We have turned our attention, to a great extent, for over 40 years, one could say, towards Asia and the Far East. And this Western world has completely forgotten that an African continent exists, with its own problems and its own needs. An African continent that was, in many countries, under colonial rule, while we were Greeks working in goldmines, crops, businesses. It is with great pleasure that I am participating in Africa Day, just like last year, a conference which provides the opportunity for views to be heard about the African continent and the relations between Greece and Africa. And, for this reason, its organisers sincerely deserve to be congratulated. It was a challenge, when the country's Prime Minister visited me in my current position, for me to direct a portion of my activity on Africa, sub-Saharan Africa chiefly, which the Minister previously referred to as the forgotten sub-Saharan Africa. The Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, Nikos Kotzias, looked upon it with great interest then, and supported it. We combined the countries where there is a dynamic Greek presence because, though there may be few of us in some countries, we are nonetheless very powerful and very well liked. So, we combined the countries where there is a dynamic Greek presence, and the immediate need to either restart or to further deepen our political and diplomatic relations in their home, and this is important: in their home. Let's not just look upon them on the level of organisations, in the UN for example. Let’s show up in their home, because in some countries, we had been forgotten for 46-50 years, and we had never been to certain other countries. Indeed, I remember, and I am straying from my prepared speech, that I told the Minister of Foreign Affairs of a sub-Saharan African country, I won’t mention his name, at the end of a bilateral meeting: “And we would like for you to now support our candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for ‘25.” And he responded: “Will you give me a reason why I should do that?” And I must admit that I froze. “When did Greece come inside my country to get to know it, for me to do you this favour? We will discuss it again next time.” I went again, after six months, on a business mission, and we have secured yet another vote in Greece's favour. I believe that this is one of the steps that truly shows us how necessary this is - the Minister stated it again earlier - to meet face to face and to discuss things face to face. Also, we must not forget that we are talking about countries of the African Union whose headquarters are in Ethiopia. We are talking about countries that are part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and we all realise how important it is to talk with them, to remain close to them. Every sub-Saharan African country welcomed us and continues to welcome us. We are a serious and well-liked interlocutor. The doors are open. Look, I will draw from my personal experience, which I was speaking about the other day with Minister Katrougalos. I may be a Deputy Minister, and protocol may not permit me to hold meetings with people higher in rank than myself. But nonetheless, Prime Ministers and Presidents of Republics have received not Terens Quick, but Greece. The open arms of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia a few days ago in Addis Ababa were not meant for Terens Quick, but for Greece. The fact that the President of Zimbabwe’s door was open was not for Terens Quick, but for Greece. And this is something that we must truly keep in our heart as an invaluable tool as to how we will approach the African continent. During last year’s conference, to remind you, references had been made, inter alia, to Africa’s significance for Europe and the whole world, as well as the international initiatives that are being taken on this continent. During my visits to African countries in the past two years, and there have been quite a few of them - and there are countries that I have visited two and three times whenever necessary - I was given the opportunity to see first-hand how much their peoples have advanced, and to confirm their love for Greece. The passion of the Africans for every form of progress and growth made a particular impression on me, something that we realise, all of us who have visited this beautiful continent. And of course, I had the benefit of having visited Africa before becoming a politician, as a journalist as well as a tourist. I don’t know how many times I've been to Kenya, for example, or to Ethiopia. I had the pleasure, before Easter, here in Athens, to receive my Kenyan counterpart in Greece, Mr Ababu Namwamba, and we had wonderful bilateral collaborations and contacts also with the Minister of Economy and Development, as well as with the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I note also as proof of the importance we place upon the African continent that recently, and I feel truly grateful, at the initiative of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Katrougalos, for the first time - I don’t like beating around the bush, I like to say things as they are - we carried out the most expansive official meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affair that has ever taken place with regard to Africa. And there, we placed everything on the table, our country was interested and planned to develop further relationships with African countries with initially a 5-year programme, but with a 10-year programme in the works, and it was indeed decided for our political consultations to also begin immediately, with countries with which we must hold them. In addition, in June, we will have, here in Athens, the first joint interministerial committee with Kenya, a proposal by the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Anagnostopoulou, which was accepted by my friend Ababu, who had travelled here a few days ago. The European Union and its member-states stress the importance of cooperating with African countries, which we consider our partners, for the purpose of tackling and resolving the various problems they face together, problems which of course also often affect Greece: be it security, the immigration issue, terrorism, or whatever else - many things. Of course, the final decisions are up to these countries themselves, and to their peoples. Confirmation of this perspective was the African Union-European Union Summit in Abidjan, in November 2017, where I represented Greece, whose main topic was young people, employment, security, the immigration issue, which was followed by the ministerial meeting which took place in Brussels in January, again between the African Union and the European Union, and the informal meeting which took place in Vienna, in which heads of state participated, such as, for example, President Sisi of Egypt, the President of Ethiopia, a multi-talented, I would say, and charismatic, diplomat who has been in the UN representing her country for years, now the head of a country which is radically changing due to the reforms being made there by the new Prime Minister. In addition, we must stress that in the context of our engagement with the African continent and the very positive role that the Patriarchate of Alexandria is playing which, always in conjunction with the individual countries, is carrying out notable pastoral, educational, and charitable work; the fact, for example, that it is opening as many schools as it can. Given the opportunity, since we are speaking about schools: Mozambique. I was there last week. The country has been plagued by natural disasters. We made a small symbolic contribution to Mozambique through the European Union. I delivered to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and to the Ministry of the Interior, a letter by my Minister, on this move we made, a charitable one I would say. But, when I saw, up close, 3,500 classrooms destroyed, when I saw 2 million people not having a place to rest their head, when infrastructure works have been destroyed, such as bridges, streets, hospitals: Yes! There I said that the international community must rush to these regions that were affected, and I learned, to my great disappointment, that only 30% of UN countries rushed to help, among which was Greece, of course, and I am proud of that. And, okay, people thanked us, but I feel that we must and we can do more. I remind you that on 30 May, in Mozambique, the international ministerial meeting will take place for the reconstruction of Mozambique, and I await instructions as to whether we will be represented there, and at what level. But it is certain that we have our eye on it, and we are ready to provide any help required, even with our own volunteers, who would love to rush to help, in addition of course to our diplomats. I repeat that Greece wishes, both on a bilateral level as well as within the framework of international organisations, to strengthen its relationship with African countries in every area. It goes without saying that beyond our own proposals, what do we expect? We expect ideas and proposals on behalf of our African partners. And because we also offered two scholarships to our Diplomatic Academy to Mozambique, I must tell you that I heard, with great interest, a proposal by a veteran diplomat of Mozambique that: “Yes, with great pleasure, we thank you very much, but perhaps it would also be useful for you to select 3-4 countries that you would like, out of Africa's Mediterranean countries, out of the sub-Saharan countries, for our diplomats to come and conduct seminars at your Diplomatic Academy, to show you what Africa truly is; for Greek Diplomacy to absorb it better, which means that we will also help even more. ”I think that the ball has already started rolling. Once again, I must say a big thank you to the political leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which entrusts me with this role that I enjoy, of touring the African continent for my country, as well as for Africa. Africa is part of my heart. Thank you very much.”
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