“Greece is known to participate in KFOR, the peacekeeping force in Kosovo. So what is required is prudence, is observance of International Law”, noted the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In tension in Kosovo said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, during his visit to Vietnamemphasizing that it is required respect for International Law and that Greece will do everything it can to facilitate talks between Belgrade and Pristina.
“Stability and security in the wider region is something that is absolutely of interest to Greek diplomacy. I don’t remember how many times, in the last two years, I have visited Pristina and Belgrade. And also, as you know, Greece participates in KFOR, the peacekeeping force in Kosovo. So what is required is prudence, is observance of International Law. It is also the environment that will allow Belgrade and Pristina to discuss and resolve their differences. Our country, as an honest interlocutor in the Balkans, will do everything it can to facilitate this process,” he said characteristically.
Regarding his visit to Vietnam, he said that during his meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, they discussed the prospects of strengthening relations between Greece and Vietnam in many sectors, such as the economy, shipping and tourism.
“I had the opportunity today as part of the visit to Vietnam, after the visit here of the President of the Hellenic Republic, to first meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Mr. Bui Thanh Son, and later I will be received by the Prime Minister and the President of the country. We discussed bilateral relations, our economic relations, but also a wide range of other issues,” said Mr. Dendias.
At the same time, he emphasized that the common adherence to International Law and the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) connects Greece and Vietnam.
“Vietnam is a country that has not only co-signed UNCLOS, the International Convention on the Law of the Sea, but is also an active member of the Association of Friends of UNCLOS,” said Mr. Dendias. In this context, we and Vietnam agreed to have close consultations on the Law of the Sea, to understand each other’s positions, and to work together for the development of the International Law of the Sea, as well as its application in the world become,” he added.
As he said, they also discussed another series of collaborations at the educational level and at the level of sports.
“And something that connects the two countries and is not widely known: President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of Vietnam, fought on the Macedonian Front in the period ’16-’17 in the ranks of the French army. We agreed, therefore, that there should be a bust of him in Edessa, which would highlight this fact. And we also discussed the transfer of the ashes of the Greek fighter Sarantidis, who fought with the Vietnamese army during the Vietnamese War of Independence, and whom the Vietnamese remember fondly. I consider that Vietnam, a country of 100 million inhabitants, with a rising economy of almost 400 billion, is an interesting interlocutor for Greece in the Southeast Asian region. And that our relations with him will be absolutely useful to widen and deepen”, pointed out the Greek foreign minister.
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