Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, speaking today in Parliament, described as "historically incorrect" the position of SYRIZA not to vote for the Greece-France Agreement, adding that it is conveying a very negative image, mainly towards France, to which we are linked by historical and political ties both within the EU and beyond.
In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis, intervening in the debate on the "Ratification of the Agreement between Greece and France on establishing a strategic partnership for defence and security cooperation", made a brief historical review of the relations between the two countries, starting with Charles de Gaulle's speech in Parliament in 1963, Giscard d'Estaing’s contribution to Konstantinos Karamanlis’ return to Athens in 1974 by providing his plane, but also with the role played later by François Mitterrand regarding the European Mediterranean programs, Nicolas Sarkozy, who backed Kostas Karamanlis in Bucharest when he vetoed FYROM’s accession, and François Hollande, who backed Greece’s stay in the EU in 2015.
On the occasion of the Agreement voted by the Parliament, the Alternate Minister made a special reference to the current President of the French Republic Emanuel Macron, noting that it is for the first time that the issue of mutual assistance has been explicitly and distinctly worded. He also, underscored the close co-operation that exists with France in the framework of EUMED9, but also the role of France as a leading power in the South. Our goal is, as he said, "the Mediterranean to be a sea of peace, cooperation and economic development that will unite peoples and not a sea where instability will continue to prevail."
Addressing SYRIZA, Mr. Varvitsiotis said that the negative vote against a country that is a traditional and strategic ally conveys a negative image mainly towards France, regarding an agreement that seals the historic ties between the two countries.
October 7, 2021