“I do not want in any way to associate the help that the Greek government, the Greek people, the Greek society, I must say, willingly provides to the fellow human being tested, across the Aegean, whether in Turkey, or in Syria, with any geopolitical footprint, either with any effort or with any difference. They are different things. The Greek people and Greek society with this behavior proves the ethos it has. We must stay there”.

He underlined the above the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendiass, answering a journalist’s question about whether the good climate with Turkey that we see after the devastating earthquake will continue.

Mr. Dendias met with the Deputy Minister of Macedonia and Thrace, Stavros Kalafatis, at the Governor’s Office, and informed him about his recent trip to Turkey and the situation he saw after the devastating earthquakes, as well as about Greece’s assistance both to Turkey and to Syria.

They also discussed the role of Macedonia and Thrace in the wider region and the foreign minister said: “We discussed the enormous geopolitical importance of Macedonia and Thrace and the effort that the Greek government is making to upgrade its geopolitical role very of this important region. I would like to tell you that it is always a great pleasure to be in Macedonia and especially in Thessaloniki”.

“The Greeks were the first to rush – by order of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – to provide assistance for the rescue of stranded people by sending two teams of EMAK. And we will continue to provide assistance by sending first aid items with a coordinated effort that is already being developed by the State, the Church, society. And this is because this is how we Greeks understand that our neighbors should behave”said, for his part, YMATH Stavros Kalafatis.

“We also discussed with the friendly minister the contribution of Macedonia and Thrace to the national effort that makes our country stronger, economically, militarily and geopolitically. For the new strategic relationship with the USA and the American presence in Alexandroupoli which boosts security and strengthens stability. But also for the new infrastructures that transform our country into an energy hub. There is a common belief that Thessaloniki, Macedonia and Thrace, with the choices of our government, are taking their rightful place on the map of the future”emphasized Mr. Kalafatis.