Milt. Varvitsiotis: Greece does not bargain for issues of national sovereignty

“We are not going to make concessions in defense of our sovereign rights and we will not stop internationalizing Turkish delinquency in all international fora,” Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said in an interview with the newspaper Eleftheros Typos tis Kyriakis.

“Greece does not give in to threats and bluffs, nor does it haggle over issues of national sovereignty,” he said.

As he points out, “Greece is unwaveringly guided by international law, the law of the sea and good neighborly relations, principles that Turkey not only does not respect, but systematically violates.”

“The composure we show is not a weakness,” he said. “Greece is a strong country, politically, diplomatically and defensively. It is a factor of peace, security and stability.

He states that Greece “will not stop internationalizing Turkish delinquency in all international fora. This, after all, became clear with the historic speech of the Prime Minister in the US Congress and with the letter of Greece to the UN”.

He added that “when there is a given Turkish threat and the casus belli is still in force, Ankara can not raise the issue of demilitarization of the Greek islands.”

Regarding Monday’s summit, Mr. Varvitsiotis states that no country has the same energy needs and that is why more effort is needed for the final compromise. He clarified, however, that a common, collective, European solution was needed.

“I hope that, as in the pandemic, so here, in the end, Europe will dare to take steps towards a common energy market and the exploitation of alternative sources, especially those in the SE Mediterranean, after the decision to break free from Russian gas.” , he states.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he stressed that Europe must stand united against authoritarianism, revisionism and redrawing of borders.

Commenting on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, he noted that “citizens have clearly called for a more and better Europe” and added: “Citizens’ concerns have become recommendations. European leaders are now being called upon to translate these proposals into policies.”

Responding to the criticism of the official opposition, the deputy minister emphasizes that SYRIZA has no political narrative and consciously distorts reality with false news.

“The stakes are ‘Greece of yesterday’ or ‘Greece of tomorrow.’ As populism was defeated in the 2019 polls, so it will be defeated again in the next elections,” he concludes.