JOURNALIST: Minister, what does the Prime Minister’s visit to the USA signal and what are the expectations of our country from his meeting with the US President, Joe Biden? The meeting at the White House will take place at a time of increased provocation by Turkey. What is the Greek government’s message to the US leadership on this issue and where do you attribute this escalation, at a time when the positive climate in which the meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdoğan was held had created expectations for de-escalation and a calm summer?
N. DENDIAS: I do not wish to anticipate the results of the Prime Minister’s visit to the United States. I will emphasize, however, that it is a very important visit taking place at a particularly crucial juncture, due to the dramatic developments in our region, as well as because of the role Greece is called upon to play due to its geostrategic position and its contribution to the promotion of shared values and principles.
The upgraded role of Alexandroupolis, regarding both the energy sector with the launch of the construction of the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit and the use of the city’s port to transfer military forces to other NATO countries, underscores the importance of the amendment to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which I signed last October and was ratified by Parliament a few days ago.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speech at a joint meeting of the Congress, a privilege which is granted for the first time to a Greek Prime Minister, is undoubtedly a historic moment in Greece-US relations.
It constitutes a significant symbolic gesture from the part of the US side in order to highlight the alignment of Athens and Washington as regards values and views.
It is considered, and rightly so, to be the most high-profile visit by a Greek Prime Minister in recent years. Of course, I will participate in the Prime Minister's meeting with the US President.
In addition, I will have separate meetings with my US counterpart Antony Blinken, with whom I held talks a few days ago in the framework of the "3 + 1" dialogue, and with the former Secretary of State and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.
In fact, Mr. Kerry and I are expected to announce a joint initiative aimed at protecting the seas, on the basis of respect for the International Law of the Sea, as well as on the Greek government’s active and ongoing interest in the environment.
With regard to our relations with Turkey, the message is time-honoured and clear: we are in favour of a constructive dialogue on the basis of International Law, and especially of the Law of the Sea.
Violations of national sovereignty, of sovereign rights, the persistent repetition of the threat of use of force and revisionism have no place in these relations. These practices are not only unacceptable, they are condemnable. And of course they undermine NATO's cohesion at a critical juncture.
JOURNALIST: As you stated at the New Democracy party Congress, during the current government’s term in office our country has signed more than 200 bilateral and multilateral agreements. What does this signify as regards our country’s alliances and what are the next steps in this direction?
N. DENDIAS: In an extremely adverse and complex international environment, the Kyriakos Mitsotakis government, demonstrating seriousness and responsibility, has concluded a dense network of political-diplomatic and defence agreements. Among them are agreements of paramount importance, which ensured decades-old objectives, as is the case with the agreements with Italy and Egypt.
And of course, in addition to the agreements with the United States, I should recall the agreements containing a mutual assistance clause that we signed first with the United Arab Emirates and then with France. At the same time, we have created a very broad framework of cooperation with other countries, in almost all the continents.
As far as I am concerned, this signifies something quite simple: Greece has expanded its horizons. It no longer pursues a limited in scope, ‘Turkey-centric’ foreign policy.
We are not a Balkan country at the periphery. We are at the center of international developments. It has now become clear that Greece has a role and a say. We have escaped the constraints that have defined our policy for decades and are methodically building partnerships and alliances in all geographical regions of the world, reaching beyond Europe.
This is also confirmed by the overwhelming support our candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council has received. We have already secured more than 100 pledges of support.
We are also laying the groundwork for further openings through our candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027-28 term and for the Presidency of the UN General Assembly in 2035. We feel proud of and justified in our foreign policy.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you that the implications of the war on the energy sector could ultimately test the EU's cohesion, given the different approaches and slow reaction in joint decision-making to support European societies? And how concerned are you that the implications of the war, and in particular soaring prices, could result in a new rise of populism in Europe?
N. DENDIAS: The invasion of Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine created a new, and I would say unprecedented, situation for the European countries and the energy sector.
So far, the EU has decided on five packages of sanctions against Russia. As you would expect, consultations between member states are not easy because not all countries depend on Russian oil in the same way or to the same extent. One should also bear in mind that the already increased energy costs have caused difficulties and inflationary pressures in European societies and economies.
It is certainly not an easy decision. Both governments and European societies are under pressure. However, we are at a crucial point for the EU, where we need to weigh on the one hand, the strengthening of its unity and determination in defending its principles and values, and on the other hand, the concern for consolidating energy security for the citizens.
I believe that, as was the case with the pandemic, so this time the EU, the member states, will rise to the occasion and a solution that will leave no citizen unprotected will finally be found.
JOURNALIST: A few days ago, the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement with the USA was ratified by the Parliament and all the political forces took a clear position on it. What do you think of this debate and what does this cooperation mean in the context of the new geopolitical situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
N. DENDIAS: First of all, Mr. Chondropoulos, I would like to emphasize that, during the last three years, our country’s strategic cooperation with the USA has been strengthened to an unprecedented degree.
In particular, regarding the second amendment to the Greece-US Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA); this reflects in a legal framework the two countries’ will to further deepen their historical ties of friendship and long-standing cooperation.
The United States selected Greece for this defence investment, thus confirming the important strategic and stabilizing role of the country in the wider region. At a time, in fact, when the focus of their attention was on the Indo-Pacific region.
From our side, our position is clear as regards our national interest: We want the US military presence in the country, with the ultimate goal of capitalizing on this cooperation for the benefit of Greece, for the benefit of the Greek people.
At this point, let me reiterate that this agreement is purely defensive; it is not directed against any third party. It further bolsters the defences of our country from external threats.
However, the content of our country's strategic relationship with the United States is not reflected exclusively in the MDCA.
It is also reflected in the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken’s letter to the Prime Minister, which accompanies this amendment protocol, but also in the "US-Greece Defence and Interparliamentary Partnership Act", which was passed in 2021 by Congress and includes, among others, material concessions, loans, funding for training, participation in the F-35 program, material replacement, cooperation in the framework of the "3 + 1" format.
JOURNALIST: In your opinion, how does the energy impact of the war in Ukraine affect the strategy for Renewable Energy Sources and the wider response to the climate crisis? Could it lead to changes?
N. DENDIAS: The issues we, as Europe, are facing today due to our dependence on Russian energy, indicate to us a course of action, which is to ensure the diversification of supplies and to draw up a new European energy map for the long term.
To this end, in Greece we are already working intensively in the direction of consolidating new partnerships in the energy sector with countries such as Israel, Egypt, and, of course, Cyprus.
Let me remind you of the projects of the Euro-Asia Interconnector (electricity interconnection of Greece, Cyprus, Israel), the Greece-Egypt electricity interconnection, the LNG terminals in Revithoussa, the floating terminal currently under construction in Alexandroupolis and of course the natural gas pipelines, such as IGB, which is expected to be operational in a few months, as well as the East Med pipeline.
At the same time, the strategy of full transition to clean energy is a key priority of the Mitsotakis government and that does not change.
The Mitsotakis government is a "green government" in this sense. We realize the challenges of the current situation and we are adapting to them. This is the reason why we have allowed the increase of lignite production for the next two years, in order to reduce the dependence on natural gas.
This is, however, a temporary measure, as the target of reducing gas emissions by 55% by 2030 remains in place.
The ambition of the Mitsotakis government is to make Greece a leader in the development of green energy, something that will also lead to the application of new technologies and the development of new jobs, revitalizing the Greek periphery.
In addition to the small or even zero environmental footprint of renewables, their development is also one of the safe roads towards the energy independence of our country in the medium-long term, with the geopolitical effects that this entails.
JOURNALIST: You said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the world. What do you think the characteristics of the post-war era will be and how realistic do you think, from today’s perspective, it is for this war to end soon? Can you discern any open "windows of opportunity" for diplomacy?
N. DENDIAS: At the moment, any prediction about when the war will end is extremely risky. It goes without saying that we would all like a diplomatic solution, a solution that would respect the fundamental principles of International Law, such as the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In any case, the horrifying scenes that we have all witnessed and condemned inevitably aggravate the climate. Possible war crimes in the country, including in the areas where the Greek Diaspora lives, should be investigated.
This will be the message I will convey to my interlocutors at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which I will be visiting in a few days.
Now, as for the post-war era: regardless of the developments, there is no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is shaping a new international state of affairs.
Russia has found all the democratic states and democratic societies to be against it, with the latter appearing to be waking up. Take Finland for example. A year ago, less than 20% of its population supported NATO membership. Today this percentage has risen to 76%.
The message is clear: practices that may have been acceptable back in the 19th century or even part of the 20th are no longer acceptable.
Notions and principles such as respect for International Law and international Treaties, respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, peaceful settlement of disputes, refraining from the use or threat of use of violence, are making a dramatic comeback at the core of international relations, delegitimizing revisionist narratives, with all that this implies for the whole world, but also for our region.
May 15, 2022