“PASOK will support, despite any objections, the amendment of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement between Greece and the USA. The agreement is unbalanced for the country, but there is no room for loss of strategic alliances “, stressed the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Movement for Change, Mr. Michalis Katrinis, in his speech in the plenary session of the Parliament.
He referred to the objections of PASOK and focus on:
- The deletion of Article 51 of the UN Convention on the Law of Defense, which is important because it removes the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Paris and legitimizes the right of military presence on the islands to provide a legitimate defense against an existing threat.
- The fact that there is no mention that American aircraft will submit flight plans, nor is it stated that they will accept the 10 nautical miles of national airspace, which is a matter of vital importance to us as it is linked to our sovereign rights.
- On the missed opportunity to join the airports of Skyros and Lemnos in the Greek-American defense agreement. To demand our country and to achieve more facilities in the Aegean islands, with obvious benefits for national security.
He expressed concern about the possibility of selling F-16s from the US to Turkey, which if confirmed would be a defeat for the foreign policy of the government and the country.
“There has to be a formal position on the part of the United States. Because there must be clear relations between allies. A reliable ally does not mean a silent and helpless ally, “said Mr. Katrinis, who recalled that PASOK strongly and clearly opposed the intention of European countries to sell weapons systems to Turkey, achieving a relevant resolution in the European Parliament on the initiative of Nikos.
He asked the Prime Minister in his meeting with Mr. Biden and in the Congress to highlight Turkey’s expansionist aspirations, aggression, contempt for the rules of international law and especially its behavior in Libya, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, Syria and in Ukraine, referring to the 1,266 violations of national airspace and the 88 overflights by Turkish fighters since the day that Mr. Mitsotakis has met with Mr Erdogan to date.
He stressed that “Greece, a force of security and stability in the wider region, can not be called upon to make concessions and concessions to a clearly expansionist and revisionist force that moves, clearly, outside the western security system.”
Referring to the disparaging reports of Mr. Mitsotakis in Andrea Papandreou and PASOK, Mr. Katrinis spoke about Mr. Mitsotakis’s personal attitude towards the founder of PASOK and addressing the Prime Minister stressed:
“Your personal political size is not compared and will never be compared to the size of Andreas Papandreou. Andreas Papandreou gave pride and national dignity to the Greek citizens “.
Regarding the reports of Mr. Tsipras in 1990 and to Andreas Papandreou, Mr. Katrinis called on Mr. Tsipras to recall that at that time, his party and New Democracy had referred Andreas Papandreou to the Special Court.
He attributed hypocritical attitude to SYRIZA, emphasizing what the outgoing US Ambassador Mr. Payat had said that “the revival of Greek-United States cooperation began with the SYRIZA government.”
“SYRIZA cites Turkey as a reason for voting against the Greek-American agreement today. But why did he vote against the Greek-French agreement that protects the country against the Turkish threat? It is time to realize that the foreign and defense policy of the country is not a field for the exercise of ideologies “, stressed Michalis Katrinis.
Referring to war in Ukrainepointed out that we must encourage and strengthen any move made to pacify and settle disputes always based on the rules of international law.
“Andreas Papandreou’s Greece could undertake and had undertaken such initiatives with an international impact and scope. The country must rediscover this possibility, this pace. “Because the one who is on the right side of the story, Mr. Mitsotakis, never stands still”, stressed Michalis Katrinis.
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