Greece’s firm position regarding the need to respect international law and international treaties was emphasized by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritisduring the meeting he had with the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenbergin Brussels.

At the same time, he noted that it is important “when making decisions on the supply of defense equipment to NATO member states, to ensure that NATO equipment is not used against NATO allies”.

In particular, Mr Gerapetritis stated:

“Today, at the headquarters of the Alliance, we had a first working meeting with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, which was held in a constructive atmosphere. We exchanged views on the situation in the Western Balkans and the worrying developments on the ground and underlined the need for a rapid de-escalation of the tense situation in Kosovo and strengthening the role of EULEX.

We also discussed the Vilnius Summit. For my part, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, but also in my academic capacity, I expressed Greece’s firm position regarding the need to respect international law and international treaties. I also emphasized that it is extremely important when making decisions on the supply of defense equipment to NATO member states, to ensure that NATO weapons are not used against NATO allies. I pointed out, in particular, the need to observe, when taking decisions in NATO, a balanced approach that takes into account the sensitivities of all allies.

We also discussed Ukraine and I had the opportunity to underline the important and multidimensional Greek aid to the struggle of the Ukrainian people, while we also exchanged views on the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. NATO should also focus more attention on developments in the Southern Neighborhood, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. In this context, I referred to the deepening of EU-NATO relations, stressing that the full participation of Cyprus in this cooperation is an indispensable condition.

This is of particular importance, especially today, July 20, which is the “black” anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.”