I believe that in this conjunction I can express the sincere admiration of all Finns for Greece and her cultural heritage that shines through the centuries. As its custodian, developer and mediator, the Greek people has performed the noble deed with which it was entrusted.

What would Western civilisation be without the Greek philosophers, historians and dramatists? The sculpture and architecture of Ancient Greece are the enduring constants by which harmony and beauty are gauged. And of what inestimable value from the perspective of world literature are Homer's great epics the Iliad and the Odyssey! We, too, have cause for pride in that our epic the Kalevala, which was partly published in Greek in 1992, is recognised as part of that literary heritage.

In discussing Greek culture, one must not of course overlook the present. To take just one example, Greek post-war literature has garnered two Nobel prizes, which went to George Seferis in 1963 and Odysseas Elytis in 1979.

A historic tie of particular importance between the peoples of Finland and Greece is the Orthodox tradition. In Finland, the Orthodox Church is recognized as a national church along with the Lutheran Church, and it has close contacts both with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church in Greece.

Relations between Finland and Greece are good and without problems. A fact that we must appreciatively remember is that Greece was one of the first countries to recognise Finland as an independent state, which she did in early January 1918.

A Finnish name associated with Greece's War of Independence is that of August Maximilian Myhrberg, who was born in Raahe, Finland in 1797. Fired with enthusiasm for freedom and national ideals, the young Myhrberg fought in the Spanish, Greek and Polish wars of independence, was wounded twice and attained the rank of major in Greece. He spent seven years in your country and by the end of his career there he was commandant of the massive Palamidi fortress that guarded Greece's first capital Nauplia. Myhrberg was appointed to that important post by the first head of state of an independent Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias.

A very significant feature of present-day relations between our countries is that the negotiations leading to Finnish accession to the European Union were favourably concluded while Greece held the Presidency. We are grateful for the support that we received from Greece during this process.

Finland, Sweden and Austria have adjusted well to EU membership. Finland supports enlargement, which is important for European stability and security. The elimination of both economic and political demarcation lines, thereby achieving a broadly-based enhancement of European security, is our goal. Enlargement poses a major and demanding challenge for both applicants and us members. A central immediate goal for both Finland and Greece, as it is for the other members, is to ensure that the preconditions for enlargement are brought into being at the Inter-Governmental Conference.

Finland is supporting the applicant countries' accession process both bilaterally and through a variety of programmes. It is our view that the applicants must be treated equitably on the basis of the same membershipcriteria. In the final analysis, however, every applicant is responsible for deciding how it will meet those criteria. It is important to Finland that the Baltic States be involved in the accession process.

The importance of Russia ought to be underlined in this context. Stability in the whole of Europe is gaining strength from a deepening and diversification of ties between Russia and the rest of Europe. Russia is part of Europe. As the security-policy environment in Europe changes, it is essential to build a relationship based on cooperation and mutual trust between Russia and NATO.

The European Union operates in all directions. The southern dimension is important. Finland is participating actively in the EU's work in the Mediterranean region. With respect to the future development of the Union, I should like also to mention Cyprus. The island and the problems associated with it have once again been caught in the spotlight of world politics. The division of the island has been awaiting a resolution for too long. That negotiations for membership of the EU are to commence with the Republic of Cyprus within six months of the Inter-Governmental Conference ending provides a significant additional reason for finding a solution to the question of Cyprus.

Finland will try to do her best as a member of the EU. In particular, we support the UN's mediation efforts. We shall be making our national contribution through UNFICYP, as we have been doing for decades.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that Finland and Greece wish to work together to ensure that tomorrow's vision of Europe will be one of a continent that is peaceful and places its trust in cooperation.

With those sentiments, I wish to propose a toast to the good fortune and success of the Hellenic Republic and to your health, Mr. President.