Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis described today’s meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayip Erdogan as extremely important in an interview on PARAPOLITIKA 90.1 radio station with journalists Dimitris Takis and Christina Korai.
“Although this meeting will not resolve our differences by waving a magic wand, it is important for the resumption of the political dialogue in a calm climate,” the Alternate Minister noted. Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, Mr. Varvitsiotis stressed that the issue of Turkey will be constantly on the agenda for the European Councils, noting that this has been a Greek goal and acts as a lever of pressure on the Turkish side. Asked if the Biden-Erdogan meeting could affect Greek-Turkish relations, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that “we do not wish to have a nervous Turkey in our neighbourhood”, adding that the US leadership would engage more actively to maintain calm in the Aegean.
Finally, as regards the Cyprus issue, the Alternate Minister stated that a solution is crucial for the normalization of Greek – Turkish relations. He pointed out that the Cyprus issue is a matter of international and European concern and its solution requires honesty and willingness on the part of the Turkish side.
