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Education and Paideia in many other languages are expressed with the same word, as for example with the word: Education in English, éducation in French, educazione in Italian, Bildung in German, educación in Spanish, educação in Portuguese.

In Greece, fortunately, we still distinguish Education from Paideia. We say Ministry / Minister of Pedia and higher / medium / elementary Education.

But what is the difference between Paideia and Education? The use of the two terms is it random or expresses, or even expressed in the past a significant difference? In what follows an answer to this question is attempted.

In the Dictionary of Modern Greek Language by G. Babiniotis: Education is defined as the systematic process of transmitting knowledge and skills on a specific object. (Technical, vocational, education …), and Paideia is defined as the process providing systematic knowledge, for the upbringing of someone’s intellectual level.

The above definitions describe the difference between the two terms. A clearer and more understandable definition of the two words was given by the late Cornelius Castoriadis in his book “The ability of an autonomous Society»[i]. Here is a small excerpt, related to this topic:

“Education is not the teaching: The issue is not to teach them arithmetic. The arithmetic is necessary to live, but education is what the Greeks called Paideia; that is, education and, mainly, skilling for the transformation of the young child into a real man with the full meaning of the word; namely into a man free, responsible and able to make decisions . It is obvious that education aimed at freedom (what the Greeks call Paideia, Παιδεία), cannot be done but only through the exercise of freedom. In other words, educating citizens in a democracy should produce all the conditions for its exercise. ”

There may be other definitions for the education and the Paideia, which we do not know, because our education and experiences are not relevant to the topic. However, based on the experience of an ordinary citizen, we concluded that:

(1) Education means the process of acquiring knowledge and skills on a particular subject,

(2) Paideia means to transform young people into free, responsible and able to make decisions for the good of all citizens; for people with genuine democratic culture.

Besides that, this class of education, which the Greeks call Paideia, is acquired through the exercise of freedom and of real democracy and not through teaching, as most believe. The teaching of freedom and democracy without ensuring their effective exercise is not Pedia; it is verbosity and sometimes training in absurdity, in immorality and in selfishness.

Today Paideia in Greece, in the sense defined above, does not exist. The current “paideia” in Greece, intends to transform the young people into followers rather than to ‘people free, responsible, and able to make decisions’, ie to citizens. Education today became a vehicle to create party followers, which decides for them without their consent.

The cause of this distortion lies in the perception and practice that Paideia is provided by “progressive” teachings and not through the exercise of youth for freedom and true democracy. But still worse is the perception that the training of the young people for this transformation must be done in the way that each political party understands the freedom and the democracy. But freedom and democracy are unique and not as many as the political parties.

Today we do not have Paideia. Unfortunately we have training for the transformation of the young people in blue, pink, black, siklamen, green or red fans.[ii]

It is a fact that in other countries, the top choice of the Education is related to the provision of materials and services to improve the lives of people and not education/paideia as defined above. The education/paideia in the countries of “Western Civilization” is not a primary but a second option, which primarily is provided mainly through the teaching and secondarily through the exercise. This strategy results to the deterioration of culture and to the degradation and education. Many thinkers and experts consider that the deterioration of culture made the current education blind; an education without basic vision and goal.

This view was expressed by the famous philosopher and poet T. S. Eliot (1888 – 1965), who in his essay “The current Education and the Classics,” writes: “An educational system is meaningful only within a given social system. If education today is lacking, if it seems that is chaotic and meaningless, it is because we have not stabilized and satisfactory constitution of society.”

Similar views especially for those who are responsible to provide education to ordinary citizens, expresses the father of Quantum Mechanics Erwin Schrödinger (1887 – 1961), who in his book Science and Humanism[iii] writes: “The majority of educated people is not interested in science and does not realize that the scientific knowledge is a part of the background to the ideals of human life. Many – in their complete ignorance of what science really is – believe that science’ main goal is to invent or to contribute to the invention of new machines to improve their living conditions. These people are willing to delegate this task to the experts, just like supplying hydraulic hoses to be repaired. If the future of our children is decided by people of this mindset, the result will necessarily be what I have described previously.

Greece, where Paideia was once born, has not simply adopted the above strategy of the West, but outperformed the distortion and degradation of Paideia, developing a modern “pedia” model that the only relation with the ancient Greek one is the name.

Everyday we see the results of this “modern Greek paideia” with the vandalism of school buildings, the destruction of educational equipment, we see it in the “culture” of the people to whom the ‘paideia’ provides asylum, as well as to the controversial teaching material and the questionable authority of teachers.

Worst of all, however, is the current public opinion that this is the right way to educate young people in Freedom and Democracy!

The conclusion of an ordinary citizen who does not have the education and experience of a political person, of a trade unionist and of an expert, is that in Greece we do not have Pedia; we have education that is crippled by the lack of Pedia.

Sources

[i] Κορνήλιος Καστοριάδης, Η ΔΥΝΑΤΟΤΗΤΑ ΜΙΑΣ ΑΥΤΟΝΟΜΗΣ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΑΣ, Εκδόσεις: Στάσει Εκπίπτοντες.

[ii] The colors / symbols of political parties in Greece.

[iii] Erwin Schrödinger, ΚΟΝΤΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟ. Εκδόσεις: Π Τραυλός – Ε Κωσταράκη 1992

This initiative, launched by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, paves the way for the establishment of an annual forum for dialogue, aiming to deepen cooperation among the key players in a region plagued by security challenges and destabilizing forces on the premise that no single country can tackle the problems of this day and age.

This Conference will stress the need for collective action as it is imperative to act together in order to safeguard security and stability for the entire region.

The so-called triangle of instability, formed by Ukraine to the apex and Libya and Syria/Iraq to the western and eastern corner respectively, has adverse effects on the Eastern Mediterranean, the wider Middle East and Southeast Europe. The ongoing refugee/migration crisis, extremism and radicalization are indicators of the current critical situation in the broader region.

The Rhodes Conference is based on a political vision; to build stability and security via joint initiatives and synergies in order to avert fragmentation and bring prosperity and peace.

This includes the growth of relations and movements, which will lead to higher levels of interdependence. That is the building of academic and cultural networks aimed at overcoming stereotypes and misconceptions, as well as people-to-people exchanges – bridges between cultures – that promote understanding and respect for diversity.

In the same vein, economic cooperation in a modern globalized world requires synergies and connectivity in the sectors of trade, energy and transport;

Our will is to achieve positive sum cooperation, aspiring to remedy uneven development and inequality, the root causes of turbulence and hatred.

Hence, the agenda of both plenary sessions on September 8th and 9th respectively, shall define the current challenges we are faced with in order to forge joint strategies to meet:

• challenges presented by the migration crisis, including spiraling humanitarian needs, inadequate asylum systems and threats to social cohesion,

• environmental/climate security challenges, through programmes for education, capacity-building and knowledge transfer on measures to prevent marine debris and develop environmentally sound water and waste management systems,

• challenges to maritime security, including piracy, human trafficking, terrorism, weapons trafficking, overfishing, pollution, and man-made and natural disasters, and

• ongoing threats to the region’s cultural and religious plurality, including the root causes of radicalization and violent extremism.

The Rhodes Conference for Security and Stability will seek to highlight the vital need for states to show a real commitment and political will to deter all these destabilizing forces that engender suffering and unrest threatening security and stability.”

Both they would agree that when a system relies for too long on extensive borrowing to make a living, at some point comes the time when imbalances, deficits as well as ‘extra cash needs’ (e.g. Olympics 2004, repetitive elections, etc.) cause the system to suffocate; things are worse when the system is already severely structurally flawed.

The phenomenon is not new in Greece. Greeks, due to a peculiar sense of individualism, are used to live in the sidelines of legality, sustain distortions and serve each other’s petty interests; suddenly, when the shit hits the fan, they resort to law books to assess wrongdoings of those who were found standing when the music stopped or had failed to secure sound political backup.

In the case of 2013 Greece, what’s done is done. The blame game’s only significance is when citizens approach the polls. What is really needed – and perhaps what citizens need to rely on to move forward – is strong political will to codify the crisis rhetoric in terms of the future; it requires thinking what is necessary to exit the vicious cycle of indecisiveness and misery, maintaining, at the same time, the decency of the Greek people.

To start looking ahead (and most importantly to start exploring the advantages of the country) needs to first to put things in order. Some key areas –that, perhaps, would satisfy most mainstream political trends- could be the following:

1) Protection of national sovereignty (land and sea borders, ownership of natural resources).

2) Fiscal efficiency – we should stop consuming more than what we produce.

3) Production of new wealth in a socially responsible way.

4) Preservation and development of social capital to secure sustainability of all the above.

These four simple concepts (homeland, fiscal balance, sustainability, people) require a new philosophy towards life as well as long-term planning and continuous innovation. Before those, however, some positive shocks could come in handy.

A couple of months ago, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras shyly mumbled a figure: 15% corporate flat tax for all entrepreneurial activity. Well, it is not like inventing the wheel, since many countries with fewer problems have introduced it as an incentive to attract FDIs, but it could definitely be a positive sign for companies already operating in the country. Well, for new ones to arrive, Samaras would have to voice more meaningful points such as: simplification of the process for the creation of new companies; online company register; cutting down red tape; eGov services etc. And guess what: voicing these may not be enough anymore; turning it into practice and presenting some real success stories would do the trick.

In my mind, this is the key weakness of the ‘success story’ Maximos Mansion’s staffers are trying to spin to desperate Greek media; these guys some times look like retired wizards who are trying to learn new tricks. The attempt to assign the ‘Grecovery’ to the country as a whole is a stupid shortcut that leads nowhere; what’s more, it seems to jeopardise any positive results secured by Greek people’s sacrifices so far. In modern times, the ‘phoenix’, in order to rise again needs a little bit more than magic and national wishful thinking; for instance, it requires sound management, across the board utilization of digital means and renouncement of partisanship from the handling of state affairs. I doubt that they have anything to communicate in these fields…

To inspire ‘Grecovery’, the government needs some political R&D towards two directions: first, real life solutions and second, communications. No matter what it is commonly argued, the country cannot exit the crisis without state of the art communication strategies and practices that will keep Greek people informed and foreign investors motivated.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said some time ago: “…Despite the signs that the worst of the financial crisis is now behind us, despite these modest green shoots, there is still a long way to go to restore our growth prospects, to revive our economies, to heal our banking systems, to create more jobs and to improve welfare across our union. We need to remember that the economy reacts with a time lag: once stability is back, it takes time before this is translated into more confidence, more investment and growth and jobs. And as growth returns, it takes time before the positive impact on employment starts kicking in…”

To this direction, Greece would require a lot more than old-time wizards constructing ‘success stories’ out of thin air, or political mumblings of coalition partners who have lost their role in contemporary politics.

Dr. Demetris Kamaras is the Editor of alyunaniya.com

So far this year, more than 644,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by sea. Of these, just over a third – 34 per cent – are women and children who are particularly vulnerable to abuse as they transit Europe, UNHCR said.

“Refugee and migrant children moving in Europe are at heightened risk of violence and abuse, including sexual violence, especially in overcrowded reception sites, or in many locations where refugees and migrants gather, such as parks, train stations, bus stations and roadsides,” UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news conference in Geneva.

“From testimony and reports we have received there have been instances of children engaging in survival sex to pay smugglers to continue their journey, either because they have run out money, or because they have been robbed,” she added.

Fleming noted that unaccompanied children can be particularly vulnerable as they lack the protection and care of an adult. They may also be placed in detention in some countries, including with adults, posing great risks to them, she said.

Refugee and migrant women travelling on their own are also at heightened risk as they move through Europe, sometimes at night, along insecure routes or staying in places that lack basic security. Many reception centres are overcrowded, and lack adequate lighting and separated spaces for single women and families with children.

UNHCR is appealing to all concerned national authorities in Europe to take measures to ensure the protection of women and girls, including through providing adequate and safe reception facilities.

The refugee agency is also calling to all authorities, as a matter of urgency, to find alternatives to the detention of children. UNHCR and partners are working to prevent and address immediately family separations, as women and girls on their own face enhanced risks.

Together with partners, UNHCR are working with authorities to ensure access to information, to enhance the identification of persons with specific needs, including unaccompanied children, and their referral to appropriate services, to provide psychosocial support and to enhance reception areas, including through the provision of safe spaces.

It is of utmost importance here, as in other parts of Europe, that reception conditions be adequate to the task. Without this essential element, the relocation programme agreed by Europe in September is in serious peril and may fail.

After the chaotic and miserable scenes over the past few days, borders along the Balkan routes have reopened. On the Serbian border with Croatia, some 3000 people were left waiting amid uncertainty in the rain from Sunday until late Monday afternoon without shelter, and with minimal assistance on hand. UNHCR staff and staff of our partner organizations provided what support they could at such short notice including food, water, and blankets. But many people, including the elderly, pregnant women and several physically handicapped people, were soaked through and instances of hypothermia were reported. There was similar misery on the Croatia-Slovenia border.

And while conditions are still difficult in some places and there is a backlog, movement has resumed, with 4,300 people arriving in Austria from Slovenia yesterday. Meanwhile, in Austria and Germany, tens of thousands of refugees and migrants are sleeping in tents and temporary shelters because of accommodation shortages.

In the Aegean, we are saddened by the recent wave of deaths at sea among people crossing from Turkey into Greece. 19 people have died in the past 9 days in five separate incidents, almost half of these over the weekend. Infants and children were among those who have perished. Refugees we spoke to over the weekend told us that smugglers are offering discounts rates for crossings in bad weather and packing more people onto boats.

At least 123 people have died or gone missing in Greek territorial waters so far this year (in all, at least 3,135 have perished in the Mediterranean to date in 2015). We are concerned at the potential for this number to rise further as people try to beat the onset of winter and fears of new border-closures. UNHCR urges that search and rescue operations be further strengthened in this area to reduce risks.

To address the current situation in Europe, various measures of stabilization are needed in countries of first asylum and all countries of secondary movements to reduce irregular secondary movements. These measures include strong support to countries hosting the vast majority of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees, an information campaign informing of the dangers of the sea journey, and the development of legal pathways to seek protection in Europe. In countries of secondary movement in Europe, significant efforts must be made to develop a robust reception and registration capacity in order for the relocation programme to work.

- The International Conference [...] dealt with the urgent humanitarian crisis which are currently facing religious communities and cultural entities in the Middle East region caused by ongoing conflicts, tensions and extremism.

- The participants in the Conference, Patriarchs and Primates of Christian Churches, religious leaders of the Muslim and Jewish world, as well as other prominent religious personalities, representatives of international politics, academic communities and civil society, expressed their concern about the unprecedented humanitarian situation and condemned human rights violations and acts of terrorism and violent extremism perpetrated against religious and cultural communities in the context of the protracted conflicts in the area, especially in Syria and Iraq.

- The Conference sought to contribute to raising awareness of these pressing issues and enhance international efforts for the immediate humanitarian relief of these communities, their protection from violence, persecution and discrimination, their safe voluntary return and resettlement in their ancient cradles.

- Participants stressed that every effort should be made to urgently stop the conflicts and to ensure respect of fundamental rights and religious freedom of these communities, as well as their right to remain to their ancestral land, where they have maintained a constant presence for thousand years, defending universal values such as tolerance, multiculturalism, pluralism and peaceful coexistence.

- The Conference provided an opportunity to discuss initiatives that contribute to enhance unity against violence in the name of religion or caused by intolerance to cultural pluralism, with the aim to support religious and cultural diversity in the region and establish a dialogue founded on the principles of mutual understanding and cooperation. The participants shared testimonies, interreligious experience and best practices.

- Plenary discussions also focused on ways to restore damaged infrastructure, improve health education and living conditions of these communities in terms of dignity, participation and mutual understanding, and promote development in the region after the end of crisis.

- Furthermore, the deliberate destruction and looting of religious and cultural heritage assets such as churches, mosques, religious shrines and sites, monuments and museums in the region was strongly condemned and support was provided to every effort ensuring the effective protection of these cultural treasures.

- The Conference was further enriched by the experience of already assumed international initiatives. Participants reflected on ways to further proceed, address the pressing humanitarian situation and defend the rights of these communities.

- Participants highlighted the need to remain vigilant and exchanged ideas on a Greek proposal for the establishment of a follow up mechanism in Athens, which will take the form of a Centre that would examine the situation, in terms of freedom of religion or belief and cultural pluralism, would codify the various problems and would elaborate concrete proposals and viable solutions. Participants to the International Conference will be invited to take part to the activities of this Centre.

According to the authorities, this year more than 14,000 people – of whom more than 90 percent are fleeing war-torn Syria – have made the perilous journey in small boats across the Aegean sea from Turkey to the Dodecanese islands, in search of protection. With too few suitable facilities to host them, many refugees find themselves forced for days at a time to sleep outside in the cold and rain or in badly overcrowded police station cells while waiting to be transferred to the Greek mainland.

“Over the past four months, we have seen no will to improve the reception system,” says Kostas Georgakas, MSF field coordinator. “No medical screening is provided for the arrivals and, more importantly, vulnerable people are neglected. Recently a group of doctors from the Ministry of Health was sent to screen refugees for Ebola – despite the fact that most refugees come from Syria and Afghanistan, not from West Africa. But those suffering cardiovascular problems or diabetes receive nothing.”

The Greek authorities have a responsibility to conduct vulnerability screenings and provide adapted care for these people, yet a lack of resources and political will means little concrete action has been taken on the ground.

“We have seen intolerable overcrowding, with 53 people crammed into a cell meant for six,” says Georgakas. “These conditions are unbearable for even one night, especially for people already suffering physically and psychologically from fleeing war. What little they are offered after such a grueling journey is shameful, and is dangerous for their health.”

As a result of the deplorable reception conditions, an MSF mobile team has launched two emergency operations in the Dodecanese islands since late August. In that time, the team has provided medical care to more than 350 refugees and distributed more than 3,000 kits of essential relief items including sleeping bags, soap and other hygiene items.

Patients have told MSF teams that they were pushed back to Turkey before eventually being able to reach Greek shores. Greece has the obligation to honor the fundamental rights of all persons under its jurisdiction, regardless of nationality. States must, at all times, guarantee the non-refoulement of refugees and asylum seekers from territorial lands and waters, and ensure that those persons receive decent treatment upon arrival, including access to an efficient and equitable asylum procedure.

“Greece closed its land borders and now it must respond to the flow of refugees arriving on the Aegean islands with the dignity and respect that these people deserve,” says Manu Moncada, MSF’s operations coordinator for migration. “Higher fences and inhumane living conditions on the islands will not deter the desperate, who will be forced to take ever more dangerous routes in search of safety, with many losing their lives in the process.”

Since 2008, MSF has responded to the urgent medical and humanitarian needs of newly arrived migrants in Greece, as well as to asylum seekers and migrants in administrative detention. In collaboration with two Greek organisations, MSF is also providing medical rehabilitation for victims of torture in Athens.

The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis, Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis, Administration and eGovernance Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Deputy Finance Minister George Mavraganis, AMNA reports.

Exiting the Maximos Mansion Hardouvelis said he briefed the two political leaders on the negotiations in Paris. “It went well. We had progress. We did not close the issues. We continue,” he said, while regarding the possible extension of the current programme he said: “there could be one for a very short period of time for technical reasons.”

The government appears certain that there will be an agreement with the troika by the end of the year. A source close to the Prime Minister stated that “those who invest in catastrophe will be disappointed as there was no wreck or destruction in Paris.”

Negotiations with the troika will continue via teleconference calls in the coming days.

Most of the haggling has been over a projected fiscal gap in the 2015 budget, protothema.gr notes. Failure to strike a deal by the December 8 deadline means that the Greek government won’t be able to keep its pledge of quitting its bailout programme by the end of 2014.

The main issues of discontent are:

- A Finance ministry official pinpointed the “number one” issue being the fiscal gap for 2015. A Greek official said that “the timetable is very tight.” Meanwhile, a European source said that the troika would like to see the new law for debt settlement in 100 installments to be scrapped altogether.

- The troika is not satisfied with structural changes in social security thus far and is seeking to see pensions immediately reduced. They also want the pension age to be lifted but believe that this should be done gradually over a five-year period.

- Troika wants businesses to be excluded from the recent law that allows for debt settlement in up to 100 installments.

- Troika believes that there should be a common salary chart for the public sector or, at the very least, a reduction of “extra” bonuses and overtime.

- International creditors are seeking to have VAT rates increase and for VAT exemptions on some islands to no longer apply. They want the reduced 6.5% and 14% VAT rates for items that are considered basic needs to be lifted.

- The troika would like to see Greek labour law to include mass dismissals and changes to the way decisions for strike action are structured as well as changes to the law on unions.

Sources said that discussions with the troika had not resulted in a date being set for the return of troika’s representatives to Athens for a review prior to the Eurogroup meeting on December 8. Nonetheless, the extension of the bailout has yet to be discussed.

The markets have been negative concerning Greece’s early exit from the program with Greek government bonds having slumped and Greece’s 10-year bond close to 8%.

Addressing other senior level officials from around the world, Evangelos Venizelos said that Greece “felt the pressures of migration.”

The country has reviewed its national action plan and looks forward to the UN General Assembly high-level dialogue on International Migration and Development to be held on 3 and 4 October.

Venizelos, who is also the Greek Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that there had been a positive impact on migration both for home countries and destination countries, and the upcoming meeting on that topic was a good opportunity to participate in the common efforts on migration.

In his statement, the Greek official also noted his country’s active contribution to the Human Rights Council, for which it was submitting its candidature for the 2017-2019 term.

Despite financial constraints, Greece also remained committed to UN peacekeeping operations and contributed troops and funds, particularly to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Venizelos also called the launch of the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine a “positive step” towards security in the region, as it is now time to take bold and concrete steps towards peace.

He further condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and lent support to the UN political efforts.

The speech in full:

“I wish to express my deep appreciation and gratitude for your work toward strengthening of the role and effectiveness of the United Nations, in full respect of the principles of the Charter. I take this opportunity to emphasize my country’s alignment with the EU positions presented by President Van Rompuy in his speech.

Greece remains fully dedicated to the achievement of the goals of the UN, the universal ideals of which have never ceased to inspire us. We are fully dedicated to the collective work toward lasting peace, prosperity and the protection of human dignity. In this spirit, we fully support the efforts being made toward the reform and strengthening of the Organization so that we can effectively confront the challenges of the 21st century.

We welcome the Special Event for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and the High Level Political Forum that took place this week, promoting the key Development and Cooperation themes on an international level.

Effective management of migration that will have a positive effect in countries of origin and destination countries. The High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development to be carried out on 3 and 4 October is an major opportunity for us to draw up a comprehensive agenda for the effective and inclusive management of migration, as well as to reaffirm the necessary political will. Greece is undertaking a commitment to participate actively in the joint efforts toward achieving the above goal.

Greece – and the countries of southern Europe in general – are under strong pressure due to illegal migration, which significantly burdens our economic and administrative capabilities. The effective management of migration is a fundamental political choice for Greece, given that it is directly linked to protection of and respect for human rights, social cohesion, public safety, and the country’s economic stability.

Based on the experience we have gained in recent years, we proceeded to a revision of the National Action Plan for reforming the system of asylum and migration management. Moreover, the issues of migration and mobility of persons are included in the priorities for Greece’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2014.

[...]

The promotion of human rights is of prime importance to us. In this context, Greece fully supports the establishing of an enhanced Human Rights Council with a clear mandate. Greece is determined to contribute actively to the Human Rights Council’s mission and has submitted its candidacy for 2017-2019.

[...]

Greece is fully dedicated to the decisive role of the United Nations in favor of peace and security. Despite our economic limitations, we remain dedicated to the UN’s peacekeeping missions, to which we contribute through the provision of human resources and means, mainly in the FINUL mission. We support the efforts toward conflict prevention and promotion of the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Moreover, we attach great importance to the EU-UN cooperation in the crisis management sector, and we welcome the efforts under way to further strengthen this cooperation.

The re-launching of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, facilitated by the United States, provides an important opportunity to reach a final settlement to this longstanding problem, to the benefit of stability in the wider region.

A settlement based on a two-state solution, with a secure Israel and a sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestine living side by side.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas must be praised for their leadership and courage to engage in the peace talks. Now is the time to take bold and concrete steps towards peace.

Greece is very concerned with the ongoing crisis and bloodshed in Syria; a crisis that jeopardizes stability in a fragile region.

Greece and the EU have unequivocally condemned the use of chemical weapons, and we strongly support the U.S.-Russian initiative for the collection and destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal.

We welcome the diplomatic breakthrough achieved by the Security Council on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

And it is our fervent hope that this would be a crucial turning point in the Syrian crisis, providing vital momentum towards a Geneva II-type process that can take us to a viable and inclusive political resolution of the Syrian crisis.

Greece has always been a firm supporter of a European future for the Balkan region. The process of European integration means leaving behind old, divisive mentalities and moving towards an era of close cooperation, on the basis of shared values and principles.

Demonstrating political courage, Belgrade and Pristina concluded a historic Agreement on 19 April 2013, which is a major development towards consolidating peace and stability in the Western Balkans and advancing both sides’ European integration.

[...]

We seek to develop our relations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia based on the UN Charter principles and in the framework of good-neighbourly relations. Greece is committed to the ongoing UN-led negotiation process and to finding a solution on the name issue. So we continue our efforts to reach a mutually acceptable name for all uses -erga omnes- that will leave no grey areas and which will allow for a clear distinction between our neighbouring country and the region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The solution of the name issue will enable both Greece and its neighbor to develop a multifaceted and productive cooperation at the bilateral and regional level. It will also contribute to the stability and prosperity of Southeastern Europe and boost this country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

Thirty-nine years after the 1974 Turkish military invasion of the island, the Cyprus problem, remains, first and foremost, an issue of illegal military occupation of well over a third of the territory of a UN and EU member state. A comprehensive and agreed settlement of this major international problem is a top priority for the foreign policy of Greece. In this context, Greece greatly values the UN Secretary General’s Mission of Good Offices and, in particular, his ongoing efforts to effectively relaunch the intercommunal negotiating process. We also fully support President Anastasiadis’ renewed constructive package proposal.

We hope that Ankara, at long last, will decide to pursue a new policy of normalization of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus. Such a Turkish policy would decisively facilitate the relaunching of intercommunal negotiations. A just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue — a solution within the framework of the relevant Security Council resolutions and in line with the acquis communautaire; a solution approved by the Cypriot people through a referendum.

The new developments in the energy sector — regarding the exploitation of hydrocarbons — can function as a factor for development, peace and stability throughout the region.

Relations with our neighbour Turkey are set on a positive course. An institutionalized cooperation at the highest government level, as well as increasing tourism and economic cooperation, can create further potential for the future.

Nevertheless, the determining factors for a substantially promising perspective for our relationship with our Eastern Neighbour are:

-full respect of international law and international legality,

-and in this framework a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue.

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The Greek people have succeeded in restoring the country’s credibility. Greece has already achieved the highest structural primary surplus in the Eurozone – 5% of GDP. Greece has achieved a peacetime historical first: a fiscal adaptation of 19% of GDP in the four years between 2009 and 2013. And we have done this in spite of experiencing six years of recession. We have carried out necessary, structural reforms in public administration, in the investment sector and in the labor market, and our privatization program is already yielding results. But all of this, of course, has come through great sacrifices by the Greek people and at a very high social cost. Defending democracy and the rule of law against forms of racist, xenophobic conduct -and against all forms of social violence -is a fundamental engagement of the Hellenic Republic.

I wish also to say a few words about the priorities of Greece’s upcoming Presidency of the EU, in the first half of 2014. Coming at a time of unprecedented economic challenges for the Union, our Presidency will carry forward the vital debate on the future of Europe. A debate that will intensify as we approach next year’s European elections.

All these issues humanity is facing and are being dealt with by this session of the General Assembly emphasize the need to enhance the role of the United Nations as well as the necessity of further consolidating the institutions of global economic and political governance.

The hopes of the international community are oriented towards the United Nations. Our Organization has to send strong and clear message of peace, security and prosperity to the people of the world, and particularly to the younger generation…”