By Penelope Galliou
Common front against her Russian invasion and his war in Ukraine όρθωσαν ο Greek Prime Minister and the Finnish counterpart during their meeting at the Maximos Palace, condemning in the most emphatic way each aggressive behavior against a free country.
“From the first moment of the Russian attack, Greece adopted a very clear stance. It is a position that is fully in line with the fundamental principles of our foreign policy, which is based on international law and the highest principle of the inviolability of borders and respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states. ” “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an aggressive war against an independent and sovereign country, can not be tolerated in 21st century Europe,” he said in a joint news conference. He noted that together with our partners in the EU “we stand by our word but above all by our actions in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including of course the historic Greek community.”
On the same wavelength was the position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin. “Finland and Greece share strong feelings of solidarity with Ukraine and all that Ukraine has suffered as a result of the ongoing military offensive. We stand by Ukraine in these difficult times. “ he said. In fact, Ms. Marin referred to the humanitarian and military assistance that Finland has provided to Ukraine, while emphasizing that her country strongly supports the increase of European aid to Ukraine, as she assessed “Russian military attacks in Ukraine have caused the greatest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II “.
Finland’s accession to NATO is also at the center of the meeting
Developments in Ukraine have also brought to the fore the need to strengthen the common security and defense of Europeans, with the Greek Prime Minister remarking that “we must strengthen the resilience of our states and societies to common threats.” In this context, during the meeting of the two prime ministers, her issue was raised a possible application by Finland for NATO membership, for which Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated that “it is up to the people of Finland, and only the people of Finland, to make such an important choice”. He assured, however, that “as far as I am concerned, Greece will respect the sovereign decision of the people of Finland, given our close cooperation within the EU, and of course the already long-term partnership between Finland and the Alliance.”
“The European Union is a security community in Finland and we want to further strengthen EU security and defense policy,” she said. He even said that the parliament and the government of Finland, together with the President, would assess all the effects of the new security situation and will have to consider whether to apply for NATO membership.
In fact, Mrs. Marin placed soon the relevant decision adding that “a fundamental goal is to ensure peace for Finland in the future” and noting that “Finland has established a credible national defense and – like Greece – we maintain a strong and modern army and we are already in a position to act together with NATO thanks to our close cooperation “.
Stoltenberg: Welcome and fast if Finland and Sweden decide to apply
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a joint news conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metzola that “Finland and Sweden will join NATO soon if they decide to submit to NATO.” »,.
“If they decide, NATO will welcome them with open arms,” said Stoltenberg, noting that the two EU member states are very close partners of NATO and have been cooperating with them for many years, both in exercises. and training programs, as well as in various missions and companies. “If they apply for membership, they will be welcome and I expect the process to be speedy and for them to join NATO as soon as the formal process is completed,” Stoltenberg said.
Asked about the guarantees that NATO could provide to the two countries during the negotiations, Stoltenberg replied that as soon as the two countries receive the invitation to join, a “strong political message” will be sent that the security of the two countries is important for NATO Allies.
“I am confident that we will find an agreement for the interim period, between the date of application and the formal ratification of the completion of the accession process by all Parliaments. “There are ways to bridge this interim, in the best possible way for Finland and Sweden,” he said. noted that he spoke today with the President of Sweden about this issue.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
