“Dear President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, friends,Ιt is both a pleasure and an honor for me to address this important event, the Ceremony for the Cem-Papandreou Peace Award, awarded to Mr. Bach.One would say that the late Foreign Minister of Turkey and the then Foreign Minister of Greece and later Prime Minister, have started what we would call in Hollywood terms “Mission Impossible”: friendship and peace between Turkey and Greece. Is it attainable?Many of you may not remember that the historic leader of Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos, some years after the signature of the Lausanne Treaty, had proposed that the “father” of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, be the recipient of the Nobel Laureate for Peace.Nothing is impossible. Peace and respect of International Law are the foundations of Greek foreign policy. It is true that the situation is not ideal, on many occasions, with our neighbors. We have to face often the challenges of a revisionist stance, but we have decided to respond to all provocations that we may receive with the same determination and respect to International Law, having always in mind as guiding principles for our actions peace, respect of international law and friendship. Because we are confident about our national rights, as they are founded on International Law, and we are also confident in our force to deter any challenges to these rights.I believe firmly in the friendship between the Greek and the Turkish people. We have a lot in common. This commitment to friendship was the foundation for the common effort of Papandreou and Cem for peace.And of course, sports is what brings the people together generally and more specifically in the framework of the Olympic Games, a historical institution going back to Ancient Greece.The Greek government is a great proponent of the importance of sports in the political and diplomatic arena, in order to promote the common goals of friendship between people and peace. At the initiative of the former Minister of Tourism, Elena Kountoura, our government has ensured the establishment of a new international organization under the auspices of the United Nations for the promotion of tourism and sports. It is our firm belief that this is the best way for having a better world tomorrow.And I am especially pleased that this award goes to President Bach, an Olympic Athlete but also a leader with vision for the Olympic Movement. I think that this is the best choice for an award which demonstrates both the necessity of having the people competing, not with lethal weapons, but in the noble arena of athletics. That was the Ancient Greek Olympic Idea and this continues to be an inspiring value for all of us.So, congratulations to President Bach, congratulations to George Papandreou for this initiative, and again thank you very much for inviting me to be here today.”
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