Speaking to Euronews, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias spoke about a scandalous case, as long as no incontrovertible evidence emerges, which represents a great danger for Greek-Albanian relations regarding the Fredi Beleri case.

At the same time, when asked to comment on the Greek-Turkish situation, he emphasized that the window of opportunity with Turkey should become a door of opportunity.

We are 2-3 days before a procedure where it will be decided from what our legal advisors in Tirana inform us if the detention of Mayor Beleris will be extended. From the beginning, I have repeated Prime Minister Rama’s position. That if there is no hard evidence, the whole affair is scandalous. But beyond that, there is also the question of reservation. In the rule of law an elected mayor, for an offense like the one he is allegedly accused of, is not detained. Of course he will be tried, we have no reason to interfere with the independent justice of a friendly country but his detention I think exceeds the limits of logic“, emphasizes Nikos Dendias and mentions that the image of relations with Albania was an image of an improving situation.

I believed and believe that we are very close to an agreement to refer our dispute to The Hague. There was a personal cordiality between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Prime Minister Rama and between me and Prime Minister Rama, the arrest of Mayor Beleris I must say is a great danger for Greek-Albanian relations. I hope that wisdom and reason and the rule of law will prevail and this danger will be averted. But I cannot underestimate the problem that has suddenly arisen“, says Mr. Dendias.

The next day for Greek-Turkish

The Minister of Foreign Affairs refers to an improvement in the climate between Athens and Ankara, especially after his visit to the earthquake-affected areas, estimating that at this moment there is a window of opportunity, “which the obligation of both sides is to make it a door of opportunity”, to meet and if they can refer their dispute to The Hague but notes that we are far from that point.

Mr. Dendias states that what we are waiting for in Greek-Turkish is for the election process to end and with the government that will emerge, for the Greek government, which will also have a recent mandate to attempt a step forward to resolve the dispute with Turkey.

Referring to the press conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara, which took place in an atmosphere of tension and in high tones by both ministers, he states that in general during his tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “there was always a relationship that allowed us to talk. Let’s talk socially, not discuss. Many times there was a complete breakdown of communication on the issues of Greek-Turkish relations». As Mr. Dendias says, in that interview he repeated the Greek positions.

What was considered strange is that I repeated them openly, clearly and inside Ankara. But we are not ashamed of the Greek positions. And we are not ashamed to call unacceptable what is unacceptable. The casus belli is unacceptable. You have to say it anywhere on the planet. So why not in Ankara and it struck me then why the Turkish side was surprised that I said that».

The developments in the Cyprus issue

The Minister of Foreign Affairs expresses the hope that the new Turkish government will see the issue in a more comprehensive way because in Crans Montana there were convergences that would be bad to lose. “I understand that there is fatigue about the Cyprus issue, but there is a big issue, an issue of occupation.

So I think it is good for all of us and for the Turkish side to go back to the Crans Montana convergences, not to be disappointed by the fact that Crans Montana did not end, to forget the bad bracket of Geneva, in which I participated and it is the worst negotiation that I have ever seen in my life, in the sense that they were parallel monologues and with the responsibility mainly of the Turkish Cypriot side, problems of the past were brought back instead of considerations of the future and let’s go to an attempt to re-approach”.

Mr. Dendias even refers to the new president of the Republic of Cyprus, speaking of a man who knows the Cyprus issue well and appreciating that he has a fresh position. Responding to the concerns of the Turkish Cypriot community about the respect of rights, the minister states that the best protection of the Turkish Cypriot community is to be part of the European becoming.

Elections and partnerships scenarios

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and candidate of the South Sector of Athens states that the New Democracy will try to be self-sufficient from the first round of elections but if this does not become possible, then the expectations are transferred to the second round.

Above all, we want the Greek society to accept our logic that an independent government is preferable to a cooperation government. I think that from the beginning we had an honest opinion that we presented to Greek society. Our proposal does not include cooperation governments“, Mr. Dendias clarifies, when asked about the possibility of a minority cooperation government, he speaks of a parliamentary nightmare.