“This is the first comprehensive proposal for specific cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, for specific countries and specific issues, it is a purely Greek initiative. Athens proves in practice that it seeks the discussion on the basis of International Law and it is clear that we are not discussing co-exploitation.

In the next period of time it will be seen whether it will be possible to hold this forum and then this meeting will be prepared”, emphasized the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government representative, Pavlos Marinakis, answering questions in the briefing of the political editors regarding the 5×5 initiative the meeting of the coastal countries of the region (Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey and Libya), which face common challenges.

Regarding the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, regarding Turkey’s possible participation in the SAFE program, Mr. Marinakis pointed out that once again the opposition was in a hurry, as in the past they had questioned that Greece had achieved the rule of unanimity, “reality itself disproved them”, he characteristically said.

Asked about other statements by Mr. Fidan regarding future bilateral discussion on the 12 nautical miles, the government spokesman clarified that “the position of the country throughout time remains the same and is not going to change. We have a dispute with Turkey regarding the delimitation of maritime zones, which we wish to be resolved on the basis of International Law. We are not going to put our sovereign rights in the negotiation, we are a sovereign state, we will not give in even the slightest.”

Regarding the pending amendment for the protection of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, the government representative replied that “within the day the amendment will be tabled in the Parliament and tomorrow it will be supported in the Parliament. Let me repeat that for what has happened so far we will not take any a priori aggressive action so that the known unknowns of the political system do not benefit. From the moment it is passed, the state must abide by the laws. Woe betide us if we vote for something we will not implement.

Our message is that we will not enter into the process of a sterile, ungrateful and cunning confrontation on the part of the opposition. The question will be simple: do the parties agree that a monument should be protected in favor of the fallen so that we can be free today, yes or no?”

In a related question about statements made by the Secretary of Strategic Planning of the ND, Vassilis Feygas, Mr. Marinakis noted that in all his public statements, Mr. Feygas “has expressed himself with absolute respect both for the victims of the tragedy in Tempe and for their relatives. In any case, Mr. Feigas hastened after a short time through his statement to restore reality.”

In related questions, Mr. Marinakis rejected accusations that through this particular amendment the government intends to settle its internal party issues.

In a question about the incident of the departure of the president of the Freedom Movement from an information show of the previous two days, Pavlos Marinakis said that “the politician herself, who has asked topical questions for interviews of government officials, reached the point of leaving because she did not like the questions asked by the journalist, the government’s response is what has been done for a long time in the updates of political editors, where all questions are answered.

This is not news for Mrs. Konstantopoulou, few know her anymore, the news is the absence of an announcement from PASOK, at least as we knew it. Didn’t PASOK consider it appropriate to issue a statement? Think what would have happened if a member of the ND had done the same, there would have been a “war”, announcements upon announcements”.

Regarding correspondence between the former Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotou and the former head of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, in the disputed period of 2015, Mr. Marinakis spoke of a confrontation between former partners and noted that “all we can say is good untangling. I don’t know which version is true, but the truth is one and it was recorded by reality itself.

The culmination of all this was the vote in Parliament for the third unnecessary memorandum and if the New Democracy and PASOK MPs who, according to the then SYRIZA government were “traitors and German fanatics” had not voted so that the country would then remain in Europe, then at this moment Greece would not be in Europe and there would not be, among other things, the vaccines against the Covid pandemic, nor the Fund Recovery”.

To a question about the answer of the deputy minister instead of the prime minister. Giorgos Mylonakis, in a publication of the Documento newspaper, the government representative noted that “the answer of Mr. Mylonakis expresses the government as a whole, he made it clear that he will turn to the Justice, he is doing very well because things should not be left hanging”.