“Turkey is not only a threat to Greece, but is also a factor destabilising European interests as a whole in the Southeastern Mediterranean region,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed today during his speech at the “Belgrade Economic Forum – 20th Serbian Economic Summit.”
The Alternate Minister pointed out that we cannot accept Turkey as the “policeman of the region,” as it is politically or militarily involved in every conflict in the wider region. “This is not the behaviour of a country that is pursuing stability, nor does it allow the development of the political and economic cooperation we would like to have in the Balkans,” he commented, adding that the European leaders have realised that there is only one way to respond, at some point, to this behaviour, given that Turkey apparently does not want to have a functional relationship with its neighbours and with the European Union.
Mr. Varvitsiotis also underscored that, following the economic recession of the past decade, Greece is now returning dynamically to economic developments and becoming a magnet for investments in the region. “There is increased interest for investments, especially from the other side of the Atlantic, and this sends the message that Greece is becoming a hub for investments that will also impact its neighbouring countries in the Balkans. Consequently, we must strengthen our economic and political ties,” he noted, adding that, for this reason, Greece has adopted innovative tools and a strategic plan for attracting investments.
The Alternate Minister then stressed that “Europe is the solution to the security of the Balkans,” a region that has produced more history that it can consume. He noted, however, that things are different today, especially since the adoption of the Thessaloniki Agenda and the new EU enlargement process for the Balkans, which he said is better than the previous process. He also commented that Greece will support Serbia’s accession process and that it wants to enhance bilateral economic relations.
Finally, Mr. Varvitsiotis recalled the accomplishments of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which ended a few days ago, emphasising the Athens Declaration and the Observatory on History Teaching, which can be a useful tool for resolving intractable bilateral disputes in the Balkans.
November 23, 2020