Below are the statements of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, the new Alternate Foreign Minister, Sia Anagnostopoulou, and the new Deputy Foreign Minister, Yiannis Amanatidis, during their meeting:
N. KOTZIAS: Today, as you know, we have the anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus. I would like once again to underscore that Cyprus is a member state of the UN and the European Union, that all foreign forces should be withdrawn, and that the status of guarantors should be terminated.
The Greek government supports a solution for an independent, sovereign, federal, bicommunal, bizonal Cyprus, and we support the negotiations taking place under the auspices of the UN.
We hope and wish and are working for a better day for the Cypriot people and for all of the European Union.
Today we remember this day of sadness and anger for the Cyprus issue, but I also have the pleasure of having with me, and of having had our first meeting with, the three Ministers who are here at the Foreign Ministry. Sia, first of all, who is taking on our European affairs. You know that she is a person with great experience of European affairs and policies, with creative views on international relations.
Yiannis, too, who is a person, I would say, that is probably among the rare cases, with so much knowledge of special foreign policy issues, as are, first of all, the issue of religion, of global religious cooperation, the place and role of the Greek Diaspora. He is a person who is also familiar with a number of foreign policy problems.
I think that, as a team, collectively, we will be able to defend our country’s interests, its European course and its upgrading in the international space.
I am personally please that two friends will be associates on a common course. I welcome them and am happy to have them with us.
S. ANAGNOSTOPOULOU: I am pleased to be coming to a Ministry headed by a person whom I admire. I have read him many times, and I hope we will work well together.
I would like to say that we are taking up our duties at a very, very difficult time, and we will do whatever we can to bring a ray of hope, at least in Europe, where I will have exclusive responsibility for these affairs.
Beyond that, I would prefer to make statements when I have something to show.
Thank you.
Y. AMANATIDIS: I would like to thank the Minister for his kind words and say that in the difficult state of affairs we are living through, in complete cooperation, of course, with the Minister and Ms. Anagnostopoulou, my colleague, we can do our part for the country’s salvation.
Our effort will be within the framework of our duties, and I think that we can thus strengthen the position of our country, of Greece.
July 20, 2015