HomeGreeceMinister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ interview with newsbomb.gr website and journalist...

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ interview with newsbomb.gr website and journalist Amalia Katzou (31.05.2022)

JOURNALIST: From the beginning of the Russian invasion, Greece has stood by Ukraine’s side with no ifs or buts. On the other hand, Russia is a country with which we have had and continue to have long-standing friendly relations, we have economic and energy agreements, and which has up to now taken a positive stance on national issues including the Cyprus issue. Have you measured the cost of supporting Ukraine to our country?
N. DENDIAS: First of all, let me note that the Greek and Russian peoples are linked by historical ties of friendship that have endured throughout the centuries. We have nothing against Russian society, I need to emphasize this. It is a society that has given birth to important luminaries in literature, such as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and more recently Mayakovsky and Akhmatova. In music, there are composers like Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev. We have a deep respect for Russian cultural tradition. Of course, I should point out that the Greek Diaspora, which has lived in Russia for centuries, serves as the link between the two peoples. I had the pleasure of meeting members of this community during my visit to Sochi last year. I would like to believe that even when this war is over, the bonds between the two peoples will remain strong. Greece did not decide on its own, suddenly, to break-off relations and ties with Russia. It took the decision, along with its partners and allies in the international community, to support a country (namely Ukraine) that has been illegally invaded, respecting and defending international legality and the principles of independence and territorial integrity, just as it would do for any country in a similar situation.
It was a principled stance. Unfortunately, the Russian leadership is putting under strain bilateral ties with its interventions and statements, such as those of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, an exacerbation for which Greece bears no responsibility. As you rightly said, we have had political, energy, cultural and trade relations with Russia. It is obvious that for as long as the war lasts, at least, these relations cannot remain intact. On the other hand, as regards the energy sector, for instance – and this is not to say that there are no problems – Greece is, by comparison, in a better position than other EU member states. This is because we have swiftly begun a process, not only to diversify our sources, but also to become an energy transport hub. These developments, apart from the obvious benefit of tackling the energy crisis, also boost our geopolitical role in the region.
JOURNALIST: How important is the new defence agreement with the US in light of the geopolitical situation unfolding in our neighbourhood? And secondly, I would like you to tell me briefly, what has our country gained from Mitsotakis’ recent visit to the United States?
N. DENDIAS: It is perfectly clear that this Agreement is in the best interests of Greece. At this critical geopolitical juncture, the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement demonstrates the US commitment to invest strategically in our country for the long term, as they recognize Greece as a reliable and consistent partner and a pillar of stability in the region. At the same time, the Agreement increases the weight our country carries within NATO.
It is also a security guarantee, as it has deterrent effect to any revisionist policies. In Alexandroupolis, apart from the concentration of allied forces, we have the construction of major energy infrastructure, which will make the region a provider of energy security for the entire Balkan region. A further indication of the importance of the Agreement is, if you like, the reaction of our neighbouring country, which for its own reasons considers it to be an upgrading of Greece, something that functions as a counterweight to its own influence and a containment of its revisionist policy. Let me emphasize a few points on the Prime Minister’s visit to the United States. First of all, his speech at Congress is the culmination of the excellent relations between Greece and the United States in recent years. It was a historic opportunity for Greek positions to be heard in the legislative body of the most powerful country in the world.
Perhaps our most significant gain is that it has been established in the US leadership, as well as in the US political world, that Greece is a key country for peace and stability in our wider region. Secondly, through all of our meetings in Washington, both the Prime Minister and I had the opportunity to brief our interlocutors on Turkey’s unlawful conduct and overall provocative stance by presenting a series of maps and concrete evidence. Thirdly, our country received a vote of confidence from the US administration in our stated strategy to become an energy hub in Europe.
In conclusion, in an ever-changing international system beset by challenges such as the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis, the excellent relations between Greece and the United States can serve as a legacy for the future.
JOURNALIST: Following the glimmer of optimism offered by the meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdoğan on Sunday of Orthodoxy, we had the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington and the Turkish President’s verbal attack on him. At the same time we have a barrage of overflights and an increase in migrant flows to the islands. Is there a point of return for Greek-Turkish relations given the current situation? Are you concerned – and I am not asking are you afraid – about a turbulent summer in the Aegean and perhaps a new attempt by Turkey to instrumentalize migrants?
N. DENDIAS: First of all, I would like to underline once again that, with regard to our country’s relations with Turkey, Greece is not getting into a confrontation with Turkey and it has no desire to engage in such a process. Greece’s foreign policy does not operate in contradistinction to others; it has its own positions, which are guided by respect for, and implementation of the principles of International Law. And I believe, as the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the United States demonstrated, that this has now become established in the entire international community’s perception.
Greece’s positions, which are crystal clear, are reiterated every time in all international fora. Unfortunately, Turkish unlawful conduct to which you referred, which is part of the wider revisionist and, I would add, neo-Ottoman trend that has defined Turkish attitudes in recent times, fully substantiates the Greek arguments. It demonstrates in practice that the casus belli against Greece is not an empty concept, as our country faces a real threat from Turkey, which is not merely rhetorical. And this fact irreparably exposes Turkey in the eyes of the international community. Greece is responding calmly to the provocations it is facing. It resists the urge to respond in the same way. On the contrary, we alone decide when and how to respond to Turkish provocations. Despite the continued Turkish provocations, which in many cases have a personal dimension, we do not get caught up in rhetorical squabbles. On the contrary, we avoid personal references.
The recent reply letter from the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN to the Secretary-General of the Organization regarding the alleged obligation to demilitarize the Aegean islands is an example of a sober reaction. On a legal, historical, and factual level, this letter exposes the Turkish side’s claims as unfounded. At the same time, it highlights the risk that Turkish unilateral claims pose to our country, as well as to regional peace and security.
As we have repeatedly stressed, engaging in dialogue with Turkey is a deliberate and responsible decision on our part, as we believe that channels of communication with our neighbour must remain open. This, of course, necessitates a radical change in Turkey’s conduct and full compliance with the fundamental principles of International Law, including the Law of the Sea. And we are now convinced that this is what what not only Greece, but also the entire international community and the vast majority of Turkish society is looking forward to.
JOURNALIST: Greece firmly supports the accession of the Western Balkan countries to the EU. What would the benefits of such a development be for both Greece and the European Union?
N. DENDIAS: The path towards EU accession is the only sure way to peace, stability, reform and prosperity for the Western Balkans. Ultimately, it is the way to overcome many of the reasons that sustain the nexus of Balkan nationalisms, the way that will allow the region to move forward and leave what we usually call “Balkan past” behind. For the EU on the other hand, the accession of the Western Balkans is, above all else, a geopolitical necessity. Because it is critical not to allow a ‘vacuum’ to form on the European map, which revisionist powers possessing the desire to achieve hegemony and a destabilizing agenda will strive to fill. It is also in Greece’s best interests to see the countries of the region move forward on their accession path. After all these are neighbouring countries, these are peoples with whom we have been interacting for centuries.
We have every reason to see them progress, grow economically, stabilize and adopt European rules of conduct. And let me emphasize that Greece does not perceive its location in the Balkans as a “sentence” imposed on it. It considers it to be a historic mission. We are the oldest EU member state in the Balkan region and we feel that we have the historical responsibility to steer the region towards the EU and the EU towards the region. This is why, under the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2003, we were at the forefront of shaping the EU perspective of the Western Balkans by adopting the Thessaloniki Agenda. This is also the reason why Greece has been the driving force behind the European course of the region over time.
And this is why we are still working hard today to achieve this goal, sending a two-way message: on the one hand, to our European partners, whom we urge to be more daring and to provide new impetus to the enlargement process. They should not merely consider this issue in its technical aspects, ignoring its historical and geopolitical dimensions. The decision to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia would be a decisive step in this direction. On the other hand, it is a message to the whole region which I had the opportunity to emphasize during my recent visits to Tirana and Skopje, and which I will repeat in the coming days on my visits to other capitals. We therefore urge these countries to consistently fulfill the prerequisites of their EU path, to implement the necessary reforms, to respect good neighbourly relations and their contractual obligations, and to resolve any bilateral issues on the basis of International Law. They should focus all of their efforts on this, rather than on unhistorical attempts to stir up non-existent issues.

Source

Stay Connected
255FansLike
473FollowersFollow
Must Read
Related News