Deputy Minister Konstantinos Vlasis today represented Greece at the 23rd Ministerial Meeting between the member states of the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN), which took place online and was hosted by Singapore.
In his intervention, the Deputy Minister noted the long cooperation that has been developed between the EU and the ASEAN countries, especially recently, when the need to respond to the pandemic has necessitated closer contact and new initiatives. He welcomed the achievement of an agreement between the two sides – long pursued by the EU – on upgrading of bilateral relations to strategic, with cooperation on regional and global issues.
Mr. Vlasis stressed that the current conditions, due to the pandemic, require more synergies than ever before between the member states of the EU and the countries of Southeast Asia in the sector of inter-connectivity, with an emphasis on sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless supply lines and mobility of persons. He made special reference to the importance of wide and fair access to vaccines in response to the coronavirus.
The Deputy Minster said that, as a global shipping power at the crossroads of three continents, Greece wants to be the European and Balkan gateway for the countries of Southeast Asia. He pointed to the importance that our country, with its merchant fleet, attaches to maritime transport and, in particular, shipping security. He added that Greece, as a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and as a member of the International Maritime Organization, is committed to the principles and values that must govern the safe use of the seas.
With the priority of developing new energy sources that respect the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, our country is now an energy hub connecting Central Asia and Europe, benefiting economic growth and international trade, Mr. Vlasis noted.
In closing, the Deputy Minister focused on the importance Greece attaches to the EU-ASEAN dialogue on Science and Technology, with a view to making the digital transition taking place in the modern world a new “silk road” that further strengthens the ties between the two organizations’ countries, peoples and cultures.
December 1, 2020