N. Dendias: Foreign policy must have the element of national solidarity

“Foreign policy must have the element of national solidarity,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a statement after his meetings with representatives of parliamentary parties, as part of their regular briefing on foreign policy issues. as Mr. Dendias reminded is one of the priorities of the government.

Mr. Dendias first informed them about his visit yesterday to Mariupol, in the wider area of ​​which 120,000 Greek expatriates live. “I had the opportunity to talk to their representatives and reassure them of the homeland’s interest in them,” he said.

He also referred to his visit to the village of Sartana, where there is a school where Greek is taught, but also to the grave of the Greeks who were killed during the 2014 war in the area.

“Apart from security issues, the Greek community is facing serious problems in terms of treatment and living conditions,” he said, adding: “The Greek state will help as much as it can to address these problems.”

During his visit, he also spoke by telephone with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Koulembas, whom he assured of the Greek authorities’ stance.

“Greece, for reasons of principle, is always in favor of the independence and territorial integrity of all states, in accordance with international law, in accordance with the United Nations Charter,” he said.

“Greece has been and still is in favor of de-escalating the tension in this region. We maintain channels of communication with all those involved. A few days ago I spoke with my Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov.”

As Mr. Dendias pointed out, “Russia is an integral part of the European security architecture. We always believe that dialogue is necessary to achieve de-escalation.”

During the briefing of the parties, he also referred to the developments in the wider region with emphasis on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans.

“Greece will continue to defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights, within the framework of International Law and International Law of the Sea, and will also continue to respond to all challenges,” he stressed.

“Greece is also in favor of a constructive dialogue always on the basis of International Law and International Law of the Sea”, he noted and added: “Greece agrees and talks with all countries that International Law is the basis on which they should be conducted the discussions between the states, including the discussion with Turkey, if Turkey wants to join this framework “.

He also referred to the development of multilateral schemes in the region, including the 3 + 1 scheme, between Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the United States of America.

“We are very pleased that the European Commission announced last week that it would finance the Euro-Asia Interconnector, the electricity connection between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, a statement that was warmly welcomed by the United States,” he said.

Finally, as he mentioned, he informed about the openings of the Greek foreign policy, first in Africa, but later also in Asia, Oceania and South America.

Source: AMPE