Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Katrougalos, represented Greece at the International Conference held on 13 and 14 February, in Kuwait, for the complete neutralization of ISIS/Da’esh and the Reconstruction of Iraq. The Conference was attended by dozens of states, UN Secretary-General A. Guterres, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, F. Mogherini, and U.S. Secretary of State R. Tillerson. In tandem with the political talks, an economic forum, whose attendees included Greek companies, was held for enterprises wanting to become active in Iraq. In his remarks, Mr. Katrougalos stressed that the military victory over ISIS/Da’esh does not mean that the root causes of terrorism have been eradicated. This will not happen unless conditions of prosperity, security and justice prevail in the region, and in Europe itself we need to deal with the recent phenomena of intolerance and xenophobia. In this context, Greece has undertaken important initiatives for interfaith dialogue and, through the Rhodes Conference, institutionalization of a regional system for security and stability in the region. The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that Greece supports the efforts of the government of Iraq towards reconstruction and peace in the region, encouraging it to reach agreements, through dialogue, on mutually acceptable solutions with the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. In spite of the financial crisis, from 2002 to 2016 Greece provided $25 million for the reconstruction of Iraq, particularly in the sectors of education, health, infrastructure and humanitarian assistance. Greece is committed to being present in Iraq in the future, especially through scholarships and the provision of expertise in restoring antiquities and building democratic institutions.
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