The Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Rome and Berlin, Greek-Turkish relations and Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, was the first issue for discussion, in the interview of the Deputy Minister of Prime Minister Thanassis Kontogeorgis on “One Channe”.

And, first for the war in Ukraine, “We hope and push. We hope, in principle, ending this war, which has heavy costs in human lives and ending on the basis of what is required by international law. After all, for our part, from the beginning we had a value approach, approaching principles in relation to war. At the same time, of course, we are pushing – and this has to do with the multilateral diplomacy developed by the prime minister – in the context of the European family, Russia to come to the negotiating table to have a direct truce. “ In addition, “At the same time we are pressing on what we call the strategic autonomy of the European Union. The development in Ukraine over the last three years has led to a wake of Europe in several fields. “

In the discussion of whether Ankara comes out of the fact that the Russian-Ukrainian negotiation is taking place on Turkish territory, the deputy minister under the prime minister estimated that he estimated that “The truth with Turkey is somewhere in the middle. Obviously it has a symbolic value, we cannot overlook that such a meeting is taking place in Turkey. Of course, it’s not the first. A few weeks after the start of the war, such meetings were held at a high level in Constantinople, unfortunately they were not fruitful then. We hope now they are different. “

But he noted“If one is watching the evolution of what we call a formal role in international becomes in relation to Greece and Turkey over the last three years, it can easily draw some conclusions about how you strengthen your country and the role it plays in the international environment. Obviously we are watching what is happening in other countries, most notably in Turkey … “. While stressing, immediately afterwards, “Our foreign policy feels confident in relation to the path we have drawn.”

Concerning the contacts of the Greek Prime Minister in Italy and Germany, although on different occasions, as he observed, Th. Kontogeorgis said that “There are common interests, there is a core of countries that Greece is watching. We are at a point that has regained its credibility -and this is a conquest of the Greek people, the prime minister is defending it, cultivating it, in many cases and various crises faced by the EU how Greece’s involvement in the European family. “

Elsewhere in the interview underlined that “The debate in Europe is intense” at this time, as “beyond the Russian-Ukrainian war, there is the new perennial fiscal framework that will determine Europe’s course in the coming years, how to fill the investment gap, defense spending, cohesion resources, what will be European. These coincide with time and it takes what the Greek government is doing to have open eyes and ears. “

Still, he continued, “Our country has not prevented the Euro -Turkish approach but based on what is foreseen by European conditions. Beyond that, what we are pursuing – and we are actively seeking – is to ensure the country’s defensive shielding, its increased diplomatic role and at the same time there is a understanding of calm and safe waters in the Aegean. “

If, in fact, we do “A retrospective what happened in previous years, we can draw useful conclusions”suggested and stated: “We should never be static, diplomacy requires energy.” And, in conclusion, “The European family is united in this context despite the difficulties, and our country has a leading role.”