“Greece is in principle in favor of Turkey’s European path. Of course, it is self-evident that this path goes through respect for international law, the European acquis, respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all member states,” the minister emphasized of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis attending the informal council of competent ministers in Brussels. He also noted that “it is important in this period, where at the initiative of the United Nations there is an ongoing process to restart the discussions on the Cyprus issue, to achieve a beneficial and creative attitude, so that the Cyprus issue, which is a huge thorn for world peace, for security, for international law, to finally be resolved within the framework of the decisions of the Security Council of the United Nations,” adding that he will have a private meeting with Hakan Fidan.

At the same time, regarding the Sounion tanker, he said that “an important diplomatic effort is being made between the countries and Greece, so that we can prevent any ecological disaster that could potentially be caused. I myself had a conversation yesterday with the minister of foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia to ensure that this matter is handled as safely as possible.”

Specifically, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis stated:

“We are coming to the informal Council of Foreign Affairs, in an extremely difficult and sensitive period for international security for Ukraine. We will be informed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Kuleba, about the latest developments. The point is to absolutely ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the situation is worsening with hostilities. We are particularly concerned about the situation in the West Bank, in the Red Sea, and in the Red Sea tanker Sounion, which is there after an attack. A significant diplomatic effort is being made between the countries and Greece so that we can prevent any ecological disaster that could potentially be caused. I also had a conversation with the foreign minister yesterday of Saudi Arabia to ensure that this matter is handled as safely as possible. We will also be informed by the Coordinator of the United Nations Organization for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza, so that we can have a common position on this critical issue. It is important in such critical periods to be able to sit at the same table and discuss. In this context, I consider the presence after five years in the informal council of the Turkish foreign minister to be crucial. We will have the opportunity to discuss Euro-Turkish relations. Greece is in principle in favor of Turkey’s European course. Of course, it goes without saying that this course goes through respect for international law, the European acquis, respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all member states. It is particularly important at this time, when at the initiative of the United Nations there is an ongoing process to restart the discussions on the Cyprus issue, to achieve a beneficial and creative attitude, so that the Cyprus issue, which is a huge thorn in the world peace, for security, for international law, to finally be resolved within the framework of the decisions of the United Nations Security Council. I will have the opportunity to have private discussions with the Coordinator of the United Nations Organization, as well as with my Turkish counterpart, to evaluate these issues.”