MFA SPOKESMAN: We welcome you to the
\npress conference of the 1st Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient
\nCivilizations Forum. The Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic,
\nNikos Kotzias, has the floor.<\/p>\n
N. KOTZIAS: Good afternoon.<\/p>\n
I
\n would like to thank all of our guests, who came to Athens, the city of
\nDemocracy and Culture, so that we could discuss issues concerning
\nancient civilization and how we can use its wisdom to produce creative
\nplans for our peoples and the world. To discuss, among other things, how
\n we can use culture for peace, and cultural diplomacy for mutual
\nunderstanding.<\/p>\n
We agreed to publish the speeches we made today in
\n a book in all of the languages. We also discussed the
\ninstitutionalization of this meeting and its being held on an annual
\nbasis. Already, three member states of the Forum have expressed their
\nwillingness to host the next meetings.<\/p>\n
We also agreed that it
\nwill be a Forum open to new members; a Forum that can be attended by
\nobservers, such as states that do not have ancient cultures. We also
\nagreed that, as of the next meeting, we will also invite international
\norganizations, such as the UN and UNESCO, and, depending on the given
\nagenda for the meeting, we will also invite other specialized
\ninternational organizations.<\/p>\n
We will create a network of
\ncompetent parties in each country, and we agreed that, at the next
\nmeeting, together with the political conference, we will also hold an
\nacademic conference, including a joint session between the ministers and
\n academics, which will provide fertile ground for the exchange of views
\nand ideas.<\/p>\n
We agreed that ideal culture is good culture, peaceful
\n culture, democratic culture. It is what links the past and the future,
\nwhich imparts strength even to the weak, substantially upgrades
\nrelations between states and gives us, the stewards of ancient
\ncivilizations, a special responsibility, highlighting that we prefer the
\n civilized to the barbaric.<\/p>\n
We prefer dialogue to fanaticism,
\ncivilizing to acts of terror. We prefer to draw the wisdom of our
\npeoples from the past and use it to shape the future.<\/p>\n
Today, ten
\nstates, on various levels of representation, met in a historic
\nconference, the Ancient Civilizations Forum, which is a joint initiative
\n we took with my Chinese friend, Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Together with
\n other states, we had the pleasure of meeting here in Athens.<\/p>\n
For
\n us, culture is a soft power and economic factor, and at the same time
\nit is a civilizing force that cultivates the human being, enabling us to
\n express the inexpressible in a way that banishes fears and insecurity.<\/p>\n
We
\n concluded that we can and must continue our cooperation on
\ndisseminating the values of a peaceful culture, and that we will be able
\n to shape a number of joint plans and projects that we will agree on
\nover the next two months.<\/p>\n
Culture links many manifestations of
\nhuman activity through education, tourism, deterring wars, through new
\ntechnology and the way we use it.<\/p>\n
As the Greek state, we want to
\npromote a positive agenda in our external relations. As we did yesterday
\n and today, pointing up the richness of our culture and its usefulness
\nin international relations. In this context, less that a month from now,
\n we will have the next Rhodes meeting on stability and security, which
\nis aimed at creating positive synergies in the Eastern Mediterranean,
\nbetween European and Arab states. All in all, we have put together 12
\nnew international initiatives that are working in this direction.<\/p>\n
I
\n want to say that I am both moved and satisfied, because a goal I have
\nbeen putting forth in my books for decades is being realised. A goal we
\nset together with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras: to bring together this
\nforum.<\/p>\n
Thanks to everyone's help, and particularly that of the
\nChinese side, two parallel great civilizations - and with the consent,
\nfrom the outset, of Egypt and Italy - with the heartfelt consensus of
\nour friends from Latin America, and with the splendour of Arab culture
\nand the civilizations that developed in the Arab world. Everyone,
\nwithout exception, gladly accepted our proposal a year and a half or two
\n years ago; a proposal that today is crystallizing and will evolve
\nthrough a number of practical measures.<\/p>\n
I thank you for your
\npatience. I thank our colleagues who will now take the floor to tell us
\nhow they feel and how they see this initiative.<\/p>\n
I thank everyone.<\/p>\n
MFA SPOKESMAN: The Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Wang Yi, please take the floor.<\/p>\n
Chinese
\n Foreign Minister Wang Yi: China supports Greece in this very important
\ninitiative for the creation of an Ancient Civilizations Forum.<\/p>\n
Moreover,
\n as the Greek Foreign Minister said, China has agreed to be and has
\nacted as a kind of co-organizer of this forum, as we believe it is a
\nuseful initiative within an international environment of destabilising
\nfactors.<\/p>\n
The key words of these meetings are:<\/p>\n
First, peace. The ten countries
\nparticipating in this forum are countries with ancient civilizations,
\nand over the past millennia we have seen the rise and fall of dynasties
\nand empires, we have seen wars, poverty, turmoil in many parts of the
\nworld.<\/p>\n
Consequently, we, as ancient civilizations, are very well
\naware of the importance of peace, and we value peace very highly. From
\nour ancient civilizations we have learned that we have a common
\nresponsibility to defend peace. Any international conflicts must be
\nresolved by peaceful means, and this world must no longer have wars or
\nconflicts.<\/p>\n
The second key word is tolerance for others. All of
\nour civilizations have special characteristics. The variety and
\ndiversity of cultures has contributed to their progress. Two thousand
\nyears ago, the Chinese said that peace requires a responsible way of
\ndealing with relations. There is no domination among cultures. There is
\nno culture that is higher than others. We are all at the same level, on
\nequal terms. Tolerance and learning from one another is the way to seek
\nprogress.<\/p>\n
The third key word is cooperation. All ten
\ncivilizations have a very proud history. We all need to open up more. We
\n are facing the challenge of achieving progress and improving the
\nquality of life of our peoples. This is why we need to cooperate, so
\nthat we can have profitable results for everyone, and we must work
\ntogether for the collective development and common prosperity of all.
\nAnd I believe that, in this way, our ten ancient civilizations can
\ncontribute to everyone's future.<\/p>\n
The last thing I want to say is
\nin reference to the Foreign Minister of Greece, Mr. Kotzias, who worked
\nvery hard to create this forum. He dedicated so much to the organization
\n and development of this forum, creating a platform for the interaction
\nof these ancient civilizations. We are all very moved by his dedication,
\n because it is thanks to his efforts that we now see the creation of
\nthis forum, and we are very pleased to see the support of the Prime
\nMinister and other organizations. And this active support made feasible
\nthis very good start for the Ancient Civilizations Forum.<\/p>\n
I also
\nwelcome the contribution of friends who are here or are absent, and on
\nbehalf of the Chinese side I express our gratitude to all of you. I
\ntruly believe that this forum will steadily grow in strength and be
\nfully recognized by the international community. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
MFA SPOKESMAN: Will the Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Sameh Shoukry, please take the floor.<\/p>\n
Egyptian
\n Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry: Thank you very much. First of all, I
\nwould like to express my warm thanks and our gratitude to the Foreign
\nMinisters of the Hellenic Republic and the People's Republic of China.<\/p>\n
It
\n was an honour for us to be here and talk and exchange views at this
\nforum, which in reality revives the history of civilization, revives the
\n values and human principles that must be a source of inspiration and
\nguide to the future.<\/p>\n
Pharaonic Egypt, Hellenistic, Roman, Islamic
\n Egypt, the Egypt of today are in reality an extension of the past
\ntowards the future, which is based on peaceful coexistence and
\nconfronting destructive thoughts, confronting armed conflicts. I believe
\n that, based on peaceful coexistence, we can establish communication
\namong peoples, so that there can be progress.<\/p>\n
This is why we look
\n forward to an effective contribution, and we hope that these efforts
\nbear fruit that will contribute to the benefit not just of this group,
\nbut of all humanity.<\/p>\n
I express my warm thanks,<\/p>\n
MFA SPOKESMAN: The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, has the floor.<\/p>\n
Iranian
\n Foreign Minister Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif: Good afternoon. Ladies and
\ngentlemen, it is great pleasure and honour for me to be here with
\nrepresentatives of the ten ancient civilizations addressing the
\ninternational media.<\/p>\n
I wanted to thank the Government and people
\nof Greece for the gracious hospitality and I want to thank my dear
\nfriends, the Foreign Ministers of Greece and China for initiating this
\nwelcome initiative at this important juncture, when the international
\ncommunity needs more than ever the contribution of wisdom that comes
\nfrom older civilizations on the face of the earth.<\/p>\n
I believe what we need to do together is to promote the ideas that have kept these civilizations alive.<\/p>\n
It
\n has not been the wars \u2013 if we remember these civilizations we don\u2019t
\nremember them by their military victories, but we remember them by their
\n contribution to knowledge, the contribution to understanding, the
\ncontribution to human empathy that these civilizations stood for.<\/p>\n
So
\n at this time when the world is suffering from extremism of all kinds,
\nextremism that is reflected in the approaches of many state and
\nnon-state actors at the global level, we need the lessons that we can
\ndraw from old civilizations, civilizations that have seen the rise and
\ndemise of many empires, know that time is a victory and we are but short
\n moments in the history of mankind.<\/p>\n
We can contribute by
\npromoting dialogue, understanding, human empathy and moderation within
\nthe international community. And I thank the government of Greece for
\nthis initiative to allow us to make this contribution at this time, and I
\n believe this idea and this forum has a lot to offer to the
\ninternational community, and we hope that in the future we can continue
\nto work together in order to promote understanding, dialogue, and
\nmoderation.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
MFA SPOKESMAN: Will the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq, Dr. Ibrahim Al Jaafari, please take the floor.<\/p>\n
Iraqi
\n Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al Jaafari: In the name of the God of
\nmercy, I would like to welcome the convening of the 1st Conference of
\nAncient Civilizations. This Conference is seen as being of particular
\nimportance and, of course, the first step is always key, though the road
\n be very long.<\/p>\n
Thus, we now have the potential to give life to
\nthis forum and start from zero. We are at the first meeting, and I hope
\nthat there will be many more.<\/p>\n
We hope this meeting will be
\nannual, and we are prepared to host the next meeting in the land of
\nMesopotamia, in the land of Iraq, with a civilization that is 7,000
\nyears old. Of course we are pleased to be here with you, with our sister
\n country Egypt, where civilization began.<\/p>\n
We hope there will be
\nongoing communication that reflects the principles of civilization, as
\nthe mindset of discrimination, of exclusion, has cost the world dearly.
\nAnd let us not forget that there is the culture of wars. The First and
\nSecond Wars, for example. A mindset based on conflict and racism, which
\ntransformed into intolerance. And then intolerance transformed into war,
\n leaving 5.5 million victims in the world.<\/p>\n
So we must cultivate a culture of love, of trust, of understanding. We must promote the culture of harmony and convergence.<\/p>\n
Many
\n intellectuals in the modern era thought we would have a clash of
\ncivilizations, but, on the contrary, we are promoting the culture of
\nconvergence of civilizations. We are promoting harmony, reaffirming that
\n we encourage cultural diversity, which we convert into emotional
\nwealth, so that we can confront the world's many ills.<\/p>\n
This
\nmeeting also falls within the framework of joint cooperation centred on
\nthe dialogue of cultures. Dialogue is one of the key points of this
\neffort, and it is of timeless value.<\/p>\n
The enemies of
\ncivilizations, like the DAESH terrorist organization in the Islamic
\nworld, target the human being, women, children, anything that symbolizes
\n humanity, coexistence, love. They have crossed every line and have
\ntargeted the very monuments of civilization, destroying them.<\/p>\n
We
\nsupport this dialogue of cultures through our firm stance. Today, this
\nforum is a step in the right direction, but we hope that this effort
\nwill continue and become established. This means that the culture of
\nlove will now become a reality that will contribute to confronting the
\nintolerance promoted by DAESH, which aims at destruction, while we
\npropose the dialogue of cultures.<\/p>\n
I want to thank the Foreign
\nMinister of Greece. I want to thank the Foreign Minister of the People's
\n Republic of China. It is no coincidence that they belong to two of the
\nmost ancient civilizations, and that democracy was born here in Athens.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately,
\n however, the pioneer of democracy, Socrates, was put to death by a
\ndemocratic decision, and this distorted the notion of democracy, with
\nthe result that he was forced to drink hemlock.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much, and may the peace of God be with you.<\/p>\n
Peruvian
\n Foreign Minister Salvador del Solar: Good afternoon. I convey the
\ngratitude of the government of Peru to the Greek government for hosting
\nthis event, as well as our gratitude to the government of China for
\nsupporting it.<\/p>\n
I think we are moving in the right direction, even
\n though we are now moving towards an uncertain future. I think it is
\nvery, very important for us to be able to come together at a forum on
\nancient civilizations. We believe in dialogue and tolerance as means for
\n dealing with ignorance.<\/p>\n
We support culture and we are convinced that this forum of ancient civilizations will create an excellent future for our past.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n
MFA SPOKESMAN: On behalf of Bolivia, Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Guadalupe Palomeque.<\/p>\n
Bolivian
\n Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Guadalupe Palomeque: Thank you very much.
\nGood afternoon to everyone. It was a great honour for Bolivia to be able
\n to participate in this first Ancient Civilization Forum. I would like
\nto thank, in particular, the government of the Hellenic Republic, as
\nwell as the government of China, the co-organizer of this important
\nevent.<\/p>\n
I would also like to say that my country represents the
\nTiwanaku civilization, which developed around Lake Titicaca and La Paz,
\nin Bolivia. In Bolivia, we are in favour of peace and dialogue, and,
\nthrough people's diplomacy, we promote multiculturalism and, above all,
\nharmonious coexistence. This is our philosophy.<\/p>\n
Bolivia will host
\n the next meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum, in 2018, and we
\nare certain that we will be able to provide the necessary continuity for
\n this excellent initiative of the Greek government.<\/p>\n
Thank you very much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MFA SPOKESMAN: We welcome you to the press conference of the 1st Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum. The Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Nikos Kotzias, has the floor. N. KOTZIAS: Good afternoon. I would like to thank all of our guests, who came to Athens, the city of Democracy and Culture, so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-embassy-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1730\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mfa.gr\/sweden\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}