“We do not accept the rationale of grey zones nor of challenges to our sovereign rights”, stressed the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, during an interview on the morning television broadcast ‘Kalokeri Mazi’ of ANT1 TV, with journalists Nikos Rogakos and Panagiotis Stathis.
Asked about the framework of sanctions against Turkey presented during the informal Summit of Foreign Ministers of the European Union, Mr Varvitsiotis stressed that “today we are discussing sanctions against the state of Turkey. And the sanctions Mr Borrell brought to the table are far stricter than those imposed due to the illegal drilling in the Cypriot EEZ. The sanctions are also accompanied by a package proposal which Turkey must either accept or reject: immediate de-escalation of the crisis in the Southeastern Mediterranean, and return to the negotiation table in a spirit of respect for international law and good neighbourly relations, otherwise it will come face-to-face with Europe, will suffer sanctions and will see EU-Turkey relations deteriorate”.
The Alternate Minister noted that the framework for sanctions will be decided upon during the upcoming Summit on September 24th, prior to which, he added, “MED7, the Summit of Southern EU countries, will be held, which has been prepared by Greece during the Summit held here in late June, creating a framework for discussion that is very well oriented towards the issues that concern us. And that is where we will ultimately see if the countries of the South will band together to face Turkey’s provocations or if this front will be breached”.
Asked about the signing of the EEZ agreement with Albania, the Alternate Minister stated that the previous agreement has set the bar for demands on both sides. As regards the prospects of Albania’s accession to the EU, he stressed that a hard framework of negotiation is in place. “We stand by Albania, but we will also oppose it if we ascertain that it violates the core principles of the European family which, above all else, mandate good neighbourly relations”.
“We remain eminently prepared both at the level of diplomacy and at the level of responsibility. We continue to cultivate the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and will continue to do so, sending a clear message that Greece certainly does not provoke others and is resolved to defend its sovereign rights whenever it is provoked”, underlined Mr Varvitsiotis in closing.
September 1, 2020