Greek Presidency Program

SESSION OF TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2003

Work Program of the Greek Presidency

Karamanou (PSE). – Mr. President, the ambitious yet realistic program of the Greek Presidency, which aims to breathe new life into key areas of European Union policy, is unfortunately already overshadowed by the threat of war in Iraq; a war that has mobilized global public opinion, which, as the President of the Commission pointed out, is not divided. I would even say that it is not divided in the United States either, where we know that two-thirds of the citizens oppose this war.

We are talking about a war that is both useless and catastrophic, as has been emphasized by all factions in this Parliament. However, the real burden of a military assault will fall on the people of Iraq themselves, who have suffered for years from the economic embargo. A military operation will completely eliminate any hope of combating poverty, hunger, child malnutrition, and lack of healthcare, issues that millions of people face, victims of both an authoritarian regime and harsh policies by Western countries. The 12 years of sanctions have essentially acted as a weapon of mass destruction, having cost the lives of one million civilians, half of whom are children. And anyone who doubts this should visit the hospitals in Iraq to see children dying from malnutrition and lack of basic medical care. I have visited them and I have seen it.

In Greece, however, colleagues, we say that a good captain is shown in a storm, and the ship of the European Union, during this six-month period, is fortunate to have a very capable captain and equally effective crew, who have demonstrated tangible examples of courage combined with wisdom, effective management of national and European issues, but at the same time, an inspired foreign policy that has positioned Greece as a pillar of stability in the challenging region of the Balkans, as a center for promoting dialogue and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

I am confident that the Greek Presidency will rise to the challenges and play its historic role.