WASHINGTON, MAY 03, 2000

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is both a pleasure and an honor for me to be here with you today.

My presence here is a symbol of the strong ties between the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Central Board of Greece, and the Greek people throughout the latter part of the 20th century. The American Jewish Committee has demonstrated a long-standing interest in advancing Greek-Jewish relations and inter-religious dialogue, both through frequent visits to Greece, and by maintaining warm relations with the Greek American community. I am proud to be here today among friends and colleagues who have worked diligently and enthusiastically to ensure that these collaborative ties have survived the test of time, and blossomed through the tireless efforts of people like Mr. David Harris.

I also take personal pride in my own family’s contribution to the Greek-Jewish friendship. On August 24, 1944, the Greek liberation government, led by my grandfather and namesake, George Papandreou, resolved that the Greek government waive its legal right of inheritance to all properties whose owners had not left descendants to the fourth degree. This property was transferred to a common fund to aid Jews impoverished by the war. The Greek state became the first in Europe to return Jewish properties that had been confiscated during the war, and to reinstate citizenship and employment in the public sector for the Jewish population.

It is a little known fact that, in 1948, attorney Milton Winn, a representative of the American Jewish Council, suggested that Greek legislation on Jewish property be used as a model for other European nations. I learned about Milton Winn from a recent volume on the history of Greek Jews in the first half of the 20th century, published by the Service of Historical Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Jewish and lay community of Greece received the book with acclaim and I am glad to say that it is the brainchild of Mrs. Fotini Konstantopoulou who I am delighted to have join us today.

I believe that education is the only way to truly prevent the rise of racism and discrimination. When I was Minister of Education a few years ago, I formed a committee whose task was to search all Greek school textbooks and remove any references that might be considered anti-Semitic. I am glad to say that this task was completed under my aegis.

As a Greek, born in America, and educated in Canada, Sweden and England, I feel very much at home among you. For the Greeks, like the Jews, are a people of the diaspora, a people shaped by a glorious but fractured history. We share a powerful destiny that has both divided and united us: divided by religious and political conflicts, by occupation and persecution, by war and exile; united by unshakeable faith, by a common spirit of solidarity, by an invincible will to succeed.

Our ancestors have transcended an often painful and tragic history to create thriving, mufti-cultural communities across the globe. Whenever I visit a Greek community abroad, I am always struck by how brightly the flame of Hellenism burns in their hearts. Scattered in far-flung corners of the world, from Tashkent to Tarpon Springs, while they retain the very essence of Hellenism, these Greeks strike me as true citizens of our growing global community. Whether Americans or Greeks, Orthodox or Jews, our dual identity gives us a balanced, inclusive perspective on our neighbours, our heritage, our homelands.

It is this collective conscience that I believe is our greatest asset in our common quest for world peace. It is this collective conscience that allows us to lay claims to the very foundations of globalization.

Both in Israel and in Greece, great progress has been made in this direction during the past year. Politicians and citizens alike have taken bold initiatives to overcome the divisive conflicts of the past. The Peace Process in the Middle East now looks closer than ever to a genuine breakthrough, thanks to wise statesmanship, increasing popular support, and multilateral diplomatic efforts.

I am proud to say that Greece has played a constructive role in this process, by hosting a series of meetings between Israelis and Palestinians known as the Athens Dialogue. Our goal is to create a forum where all sides can exchange views and explore new avenues for cooperation, in a spirit of mutual tolerance and understanding. I believe we achieved our goal.

For Greece, hosting the Athens Dialogue was not a one-off initiative, sparked by national interests or allegiances. It is part of a broader framework of diplomatic initiatives aimed at strengthening ties among neighbours, creating political and non-governmental links between peoples, developing the economic and strategic communion of interests that will prevent crises and defuse tensions. At the gateway between East and West, Greece has always been a cultural, commercial and defensive bridge between Europe and Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Today, Greek foreign policy is firmly founded on the principle of promoting regional security and stability. Greece's key role as diplomatic mediator in regional affairs was proven during the Kosovo crisis last year. We acted as an intermediary between our Balkan neighbors and our NATO allies, and our persistent efforts helped bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict. Greek humanitarian operations were matched by Israel’s commendable humanitarian aid in FYROM.

Like the Middle East, the Balkans have a volatile history. Lasting solutions to age-old problems do not come easy. We are still working hard to create greater stability in South East Europe, through a cohesive framework of integrated regional policies. But if our goals are farsighted, we are bound to accomplish a more permanent peace. We would welcome the involvement of Israel in the reconstruction of the Balkans.

Greece’s own recent history is a prime example of how consistent progress can change the political and economic map. Greece is now fully integrated into the European Union. We are committed to help bring our neighbors closer to the European democratic model. Why? Because we know from experience that our neighbor’s strength is our strength. We know that creating a network of democratic countries in the region will have positive repercussions throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.

In this context, Greece took the initiative to bring about a rapprochement with Turkey. Yesterday my Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem and I were awarded a prize for our joint efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations. A year ago, nobody could have predicted this sea change in our relations. What began as a tentative attempt at meaningful dialogue between two long-standing rivals, has already brought tangible and far-reaching results. Earlier this year, Greece and Turkey signed nine bilateral agreements on a wide range of areas of common interest - including tourism, trade, environmental protection, and border security.

We owe much credit to our respective peoples: Popular consensus is the critical factor that will always make or break government policy. During the earthquakes that rocked Greece and Turkey last summer, our citizens expressed a simple truth: that what unites our two nations is far greater than what has divided us for too long. Along with broken homes and crushed lives, those terrible quakes shattered decades of prejudice and bitterness.

The road to reconciliation is not paved with roses. Both in Greece and Turkey, there have been voices of dissent. Extremist militant and nationalist elements have attempted to undermine this rapprochement. And of course, there are serious issues that we have yet to address -first and foremost Cyprus. The “Green Line” that continues to divide Cyprus is a barbed thorn in the side of a united and peaceful Europe, a united and peaceful Mediterranean. Cyprus can and must become a showcase - living proof of how different races and religions can live together in harmony, as they did for centuries. We sincerely hope the Honorary President of the American Jewish Committee, Ambassador Alfred Moses, will help us to achieve the reunification of Cyprus, he has a rare chance in helping bring down the last remaining Berlin Wall.

There are potential stumbling blocks - but we will not falter in our determination to create real stability throughout the region. Our faith in a peaceful future must never subside.

Tracing back the history of Greek-Israeli relations, I am delighted that our bilateral relations have never been better. Israel is our biggest trade partner in the Middle East, and joint business ventures are multiplying. Tourism, energy and high technology are just some areas of fruitful cooperation. Greece actively supports Israel’s admission to the West European and Others Group (WEOG), which would enable Israel to serve on the UN Security Council and other deliberative bodies.

In recent years, the Greek government has worked closely with the Jewish Central Board and Jewish communities throughout Greece, in an effort to preserve and promote the Judeo-Christian heritage of the Greek people. The Museum of the Jewish History of Thessaloniki was founded in 1997, and a Memorial to the Jews of Thessaloniki was erected in 1995, In May 1999, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement with the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC for the exchange of documents associated with the Greek Jews. Thus, today, the history of Greek Jews is available to the public on both sides of the Atlantic.

The historic bond between Greeks and Jews goes back a long way. During the Second World War, the Greek authorities issued 18.500 false identity papers to protect Jews hiding from the Nazis. Nevertheless, 86% of the Greek Jewish population was annihilated. One of the few survivors was Yitzak Persky, a Polish volunteer fighting in the British army. Persky was captured by the Germans but escaped with the help of Greek resistance fighters, who hid him in a monastery near Athens. With this brave gesture, fifty years ago, the Greeks made a fateful contribution to world peace: Yitzak Persky was the father of Shimon Peres, Israel’s Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The new century got off to an auspicious start for me: I was lucky enough to usher in the new millennium in the Holy Land. In January 2000, I accompanied our President, Coatis Stephanopoulos, on an official visit, to Jerusalem. But this journey was also a personal pilgrimage, which resonated deeply for me, my wife and daughter. I guess my lucky star is still shining. In a couple of weeks, I look forward to visiting Israel for the second time this year, in the company of President Stephanopoulos.