The Deputy Foreign Minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, spoke about Greece’s constant commitment to international law and the clear stance that our country has adopted in the Ukrainian crisis, during a speech he delivered at the “3rd Conference on Southeastern Europe, Southeast Europe”. and the Western Balkans “in Washington. “There is no middle ground when the fundamental principles of international peace and security are at stake,” was the message sent by the deputy minister.
Mr. Varvitsiotis spoke at a panel on “The Eastern Mediterranean 3 + 1 Corporate Scheme: A View from National Parliaments”, which was attended, among others, by the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez. During his speech, Mr. Varvitsiotis reminded that Greece has always been on the right side of history and noted that the country has shown in practice its solidarity with Ukraine.
As he explained, Greece condemns the violation of the territorial integrity of independent countries and therefore its stance on the Ukrainian crisis is dictated by the fundamental principles and values ​​of its foreign policy. “The forces that want to adopt the revision will end up isolated internationally and pay a heavy price for their actions. We can not tolerate authoritarian leaders who want to redesign borders in Europe,” he said.
However, the Deputy Minister acknowledged that this attitude of authority was accompanied by a corresponding cost. As he stressed, “we saw propaganda coming from the Russian side. We have seen many attacks from the Russian side on the Greek government and Greek senior officials. And we saw something that was really very difficult, at least in the beginning. We have also seen pressure on everything. levels, from tourism to energy, so that we do not commit ourselves to defending Ukraine. ”
The 3 lessons from the crisis in Ukraine
Mr. Varvitsiotis expressed his optimism, saying that three hopeful messages have begun to emerge through this difficult geopolitical crisis.
The first concerns Europe’s strategic awakening, with the EU showing unprecedented levels of unity and cohesion on the issue of harsh sanctions. However, the Deputy Minister pointed out that in order for the desired results to be achieved, all partners in the EU and NATO must comply with the sanctions regime. “We woke up from a deep sleep and realized that we have to pay for our security. We realized that we have to invest in our security and we realized that the transatlantic ties must be strong and NATO is very important for our integrity. And that is an important “And for the first time, the European Union is committed to investing in its own security.”
– The second lesson is about securing reliable resources that can support Europe ‘s energy diversification to reduce its exposure to Russian gas. “We have to invest a lot of resources. This is where the East Med pipeline comes in to provide a new source of energy for Europe in order to maintain its energy security,” he said. On this issue, the Deputy Minister commented that the 3 + 1 scheme (Greece, Cyprus, Israel + USA) can play a critical role in shaping the energy future of the Eastern Mediterranean and must move to a politically higher level.
– Finally, the third hopeful message concerns the reminder of the values ​​that the democratic world defends against the forces that want to endanger the security system. Mr. Varvitsiotis stressed that unity is the only answer to this crisis, saying that communication is important so that there is a common response to the challenges.
Senator Menendez brakes on Turkey for F-16 fighters
For his part, Senator Menendez expressed reservations about whether Turkey’s efforts to restore relations with neighboring countries are based on sincere intentions. In addition, he clarified that as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is the committee responsible for approving the sale of defense systems, he does not intend to respond positively to Turkey’s request for both the acquisition of new and upgraded existing F fighters. -16 he holds. Finally, he distanced himself from the State Department non-paper on the East Med pipeline, saying that the Ukrainian crisis has once again brought to the fore the value of this project for the energy diversification of Europe.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
