According to the Foreign Minister, the Eastern Mediterranean is constantly facing challenges upon challenges, the crises in Syria, Libya, the Cyprus issue and the provocative behavior of Turkey in the Aegean.
«Review narratives can only provoke extremism, they can provoke tensions“, Underlined the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias in his speech at the second meeting of the “Israeli-Greek Forum” of the B’nai B’rith World Center organized in collaboration with the Institute of International Relations (IDIS) of Panteion University.
As he pointed out, our neighborhood, the Eastern Mediterranean is constantly facing challenges upon challengesthe crises in Syria, Libya, the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s provocative behavior in the Aegean.
«The same applies to illegal agreements, to maps drawn up in breach of international law, to agreements and maps in breach of common sense. “noted and added: “Turkey and the Saraj administration in Libya have agreed on Exclusive Economic Zones bypassing Crete. It is as if Greece and Spain tomorrow decided to draw up an EEZ map, pretending that Italy does not exist in the middle and pretending that this is common sense. “.
Describing “the current complex environment, the completely unstable environment”, Mr. Dendias added that the Cyprus issueis an international issue of illegal invasion and illegal occupation, while expanding the scope and moving forward in the Middle East, “We are facing continuing instability in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. All of these are possible hotbeds of Islamic extremism and terrorism».
In Libya, the Foreign Minister pointed out, “The overall political landscape is still completely fragile and unstable.”
«The ongoing war in Ukraine is a strong reminder that Europe is not a war-free zone, as we hoped it was.“, Noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs and characterized the Russian invasion of Ukraine”a tragedy of our time, something we thought we would never experience again on our continent: the war».
As he stressed, “the negative side effects will become more intense in the coming months “, as “disruptions in supply chains and trade flows put enormous pressure on markets, producers, consumers, societies».
«The fundamental principles of international law are being eroded. We can not tolerate attempts at revisionism in the 21st century“, He underlined characteristically. At the same time, he said, “Russia intends to use energy as a weapon, directly threatening Europe ‘s energy security. Thus, the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean becomes even more important in this context.”
The Foreign Minister stressed the need to make every effort for constructive cooperation, promote prosperity and stability and called on all parties to respect international law, including international law of the sea, good neighborly relations and to have a rule-based cooperation. “All these are preconditions for a peaceful coexistence,” he stressed.
In this complex geopolitical environment, it was Greece’s strategic choice to deepen and expand cooperation schemes, such as the tripartite cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel which, as he underlined, flourishes in various sectors. The same applies, he added, to cooperation schemes with Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also with Bahrain and Kuwait.
He noted that the Abrahamic agreements confirmed the need to strengthen synergies, while the recent summit in the Negev was “a very bright spot, an example of regional cooperation in these turbulent times “ and noted the need for the scheme to include other regional actors, including Greece. “In these turbulent times, the cooperation of like-minded countries is the only bright example we can offer”he stressed.
«Greece firmly believes in cooperation between all countries in the region, but of course on a specific basis: good neighborly relations and respect for international law, including the International Law of the Sea. Based on these principles, we have proven that we are a reliable and trustworthy partner in the region. The road ahead of us is very long and full of obstacles. In this frightening environment, Greece’s position can only always be the same: cooperation with our neighbors on the basis of rules, transparency, trust, commitment to peace, commitment to stability, respect for international law, Respect for the Law of the Sea, respect for our fellow human beings in our region and beyond. Greek foreign policy believes that this is the only ticket to a better society, to a better world. “concluded.
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