Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs Nikos Xydakis upon the end of his meeting with German Deputy Minister in charge of European Affairs Michael Roth pointed out his concern since ‘the demagogues of the far-right, who easily make promises, unfortunately have so far spoken in more political terms than democratic statespersons’ and the need for real political discourse which can turn into direct results in practice as hopefully this will be a first point of convergence and a new start for a more political debate in Bratislava.
‘I fully agree with Nikos Xydakis. The biggest challenge for us is our fight against nationalism and populism’, Michael Roth replied. ‘I believe that countries such as Greece, Germany or France cannot stand alone and solve global contemporary problems on their own. This is why we need to stand united. Nationalists and populists are not just a challenge for Mediterranean countries. They are an equally huge challenge for Germany and many other countries. And here we need a clear answer, so I am glad we agree’, the German Deputy Minister underlined.
The meeting Nikos Xydakis and Michael Roth had today, on the occasion of the latter’s working visit to Greece, was held in a particularly amicable ambiance, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, just a few hours prior to Mr. Xydakis’ leaving for Bratislava, where he is accompanying the Prime Minister to the informal EU Summit.
During the meeting, both sides agreed on the need to preserve European unity which cannot but be based on the notions of cohesion and solidarity. As to the upcoming informal Summit in Bratislava, Alternate FM Xydakis expressed his conviction that it can be the starting point for a more political debate to potentially get tangible results by March 2017, at the celebratory Summit in Rome marking the 60-year anniversary since the signing of the Founding Treaty.
‘We have agreed between us even more than ever before, for we are building on our relations, that both Greece and Germany have many points on which they converge and concur. Wherever our assessments may differ, there is still scope for constructive and intense debate as well as further convergence. As to our wider policies on Europe, I can say our views coincide. We have to stay united in solidarity, to care in the utmost about consolidating and deepening democracy and the social welfare state. We do jointly recognize the need to make Europe and its vision appealing to its citizens again’, was the characteristic comment the Greek Alternate Minister made.
Mr. Roth underlined for his part the need for tangible results to address the concerns of European citizens such as youth unemployment, while improving the economy and promoting a common defense policy. Both Michael Roth and Nikos Xydakis agreed on the enhanced geopolitical importance of the Mediterranean for Europe and highlighted the need for a common European policy to tackle the real causes of the refugee issue.
‘We absolutely agree we ought to communicate a clear message of unity, convergence and solidarity to the citizens of the EU. To clarify that the statespersons of Europe understand we have to produce tangible results. We need to concentrate our efforts on combating very high youth unemployment, focus on migrants and refugees and, on all those issues, Greece and Germany are very close partners. And we must strengthen the capacity of Europe in terms of its foreign, defense and security policy. Bratislava is not an invitation for conflict, it is an invitation for us to stand together,’ M. Roth said.
There were also converging views on the need to strengthen European institutions. The meeting of the two statespersons concluded with them reiterating their shared commitment to a united Europe for the benefit of all its members.
September 15, 2016