Mr. Droutsas: I would like to welcome to Athens the South Korean President’s Personal Envoy, Ms. Geun Hye Park, whose visit to Athens coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. And last year we were together in celebrating another anniversary: 60 years since the outbreak of the Korean War, in which our two peoples stood together – an historical point of reference that will always link our two countries. Your visit, Ms. Park, as the Personal Envoy of your country’s President, shows, I think, the particular importance of the relations between our two countries and is an excellent opportunity to deepen these relations even further.
So, I welcome you to Greece with particular pleasure and deep feelings of friendship.
Ms. Park: Thank you very much for your warm welcome. From what we’ve heard, all of the personnel at your Ministry have worked to make our visit here an excellent one. It is a great personal honor for me to be here as the Envoy of the President of South Korea, within the framework of celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in a country everyone wants to visit at least once. I, too, have wanted to visit Greece since I was little.
Greece is a traditional ally to us; an ally that sent over 10,000 of its young, many of whom sacrificed their lives in our country in defence of freedom and peace. And since then we have had a constantly developing relationship politically, culturally and commercially, as well as on the international stage, where we are always friends and support one another. Through our countries’ collaboration in the shipping and ship-building industries, Greece nurtured Korean ship-building, because after the war Greek shipping helped us create the foundation of this industry through constant commissions. So, we consider our friend Greece to be an exemplary collaborator.
I am visiting beautiful Greece at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Korea with the aim of reaffirming the friendship and cooperation between our two countries, as well as the will of the government to further deepen our bilateral relations.
May 4, 2011