“In the face of Turkish provocations, we are building and multiplying alliances, internationalising our positions.” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed this in his interview on OPEN TV’s “Oti Symvaini Tora (What’s happening now),” with journalist Fay Mavragani. At the same time, he said, “we are sending a clear message that we will accept no provocative action that disputes our national sovereignty.”
In response to a question on the reactions to closed pre-departure centres, the Alternate Minister underscored that they are the only way to handle the problem on the islands of the Northeast Aegean. “Having talked to the islanders, I can tell you that I completely share their fatigue. For the first time, a serious effort is being made to deal with this issue. We changed the asylum law; returns are starting to be made. This is a necessary tool that will contribute to their security and facilitate what we all want, which is decongestion, and it will help protect our islands,” he stated.
February 15, 2020