N. Dendias: Our strategic relationship is based on respect for international law

The message that “the strategic relationship between our countries is based on the solid foundation of our common principles, such as respect for International Law, the Law of the Sea, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the prohibition of the use of force, the prohibition of the threat of its use “Violence and respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all states,” said Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias during a press conference with the Foreign Ministers of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and France.

Emphasizing the importance of the Quartet, he said that the meeting proves the existence of a huge dynamic that characterizes the relations between the four countries and estimated that it can “even in view of the important opportunity provided by the French EU Presidency, which begins on 1 January 2022, to create another reality in the region, serving the principles of stability, peace and prosperity of the peoples “.

The Foreign Ministers of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and France discussed the common challenges and opportunities in the wider region, in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the Middle East, in the Sahel, as well as the deepening of their cooperation in strategic areas such as energy. the economy, tourism, interconnection. They also discussed issues such as the spread of terrorism in Africa, immigration, access to basic goods such as Nile water.

Nikos Dendias remarked that it is unfortunate that although almost two years have passed since his previous meeting in Cairo, the issues are still topical. “The challenges we face in the Aegean, in the Eastern Mediterranean, in Libya are the same and the common denominator of most of them remains Turkey. It continues to threaten Greece with war and to violate our sovereignty and sovereign rights, to illegally occupy territory. “To violate the rights of the maritime zones, to support the Muslim Brotherhood. characteristics.

At the same time, he clarified that today’s meeting is not a meeting against Turkey. In particular, addressing Turkey, he said that “we want good relations and a constructive dialogue, but of course always in the context of international law and the international law of the sea.” He emphasized that the of the UN Law on the Sea, “something that will open new horizons in our relations”. However, Nikos Dendias noticed that this today seems like a distant dream. “We still have the threat of war, the occupation, the export of mercenaries, the export of drones, human rights violations and the imprisonment of journalists,” he added.

At the same time, he expressed the belief that solidarity between the countries of the region is necessary in order to meet the common challenges for peace, stability and prosperity.

Finally, Nikos Dendias expressed Greece’s solidarity with France, Egypt and Cyprus and expressed our country’s gratitude to these countries for their support during the crisis last summer.

N. Christodoulidis: The international community must send the right messages to the Turkish side on the need for immediate resumption of talks on the Cyprus issue

The Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Christodouloudis, informed meeting of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and France that took place in Athens, as stated during the joint press conference. On this issue, he pointed out the importance of the discussion of the EU autonomy strategy, in relation to the ongoing cooperation between the countries of the region and France, but also the fact that France is taking over the EU presidency.

The Foreign Minister of Cyprus also briefed his counterparts on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, thanked them for their firm support and stressed the need for the international community as a whole to send the necessary messages to the Turkish side on the need for an immediate resumption. talks on the basis of the agreed framework. In this effort, Mr. Christodoulidis referred to the “particularly important role” of France, as the only EU member state that is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, but also of Egypt in the Arab world.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus made a special reference to immigration, characterizing it as a major issue of the wider region and Europe. More specifically, he stated that Cyprus, due to its peculiarities as a semi-occupied state with an island character, is for the fifth consecutive year the member state of the European Union that receives the most asylum applications by proportion of population, a fact that has raised the percentage of asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection in 4% of the population. At this point, he praised the “responsible way in which Egypt manages the enormous pressures it receives from migrant flows, as opposed to other countries in the region that systematically choose to instrumentalize human suffering in order to elicit political and other benefits, or in return “.

Referring to today’s meeting, he said that it demonstrates the strategic orientation of the cooperation between them, which is being developed and strengthened at all levels. In particular, he said that all four countries are actively involved in the ongoing energy planning of the Eastern Mediterranean and noted that in this context they discussed in detail the synergies that are created, which focus on strategic infrastructure projects, as well as the development of the region as an alternative energy corridor for Europe. In addition, he noted that all four countries participate in the Cairo Energy Forum, emphasizing that the establishment and operation of which in 2020 is a major development for the wider region and beyond, and shows the way to realize our common vision, based on the strengthening of dialogue and the institutionalization of regional cooperation with a view to consolidating conditions of peace, security, stability and cooperation.

In turn, he reiterated that the enlarged meetings that take place at regular intervals are not a zero-sum game, nor are they aimed at excluding any country. “On the contrary, they are open to all countries that wish, on the basis of a positive approach, to contribute to the deepening of security and stability in our region, with full respect for international law, good neighborly relations and respect for independence and territorial integrity.” of each country “, he emphasized characteristically.

Nikos Christodoulidis also congratulated his French counterpart on the “successful organization of the recent Paris Conference on Libya, during which concrete and binding results were obtained for the participants, such as the simultaneous holding of presidential and parliamentary elections in December and the of all foreign military forces, mercenaries and fighters from the country “.

Finally, the Cypriot Foreign Minister made a special reference to the EU-Egypt relations, emphasizing the importance of their strategic sign.

Jean-Yves Le Drian: There are huge potentials in the Eastern Mediterranean and we must take advantage of them

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and France as “four-pronged”. In joint statements, he stressed that the quadripartite “gives us strength, the opportunity to develop initiatives”, such as energy. He noted, in fact, that there are huge potential in the Eastern Mediterranean and stressed the need to exploit them freely, independently and collectively.

Addressing the Foreign Ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, Jean-Yves Le Drian said he was feeling well in that shape. “It is a form of cooperation that is useful, it is a form of trust due to the convergence of the trends of the different countries we represent and a form of trust between the four of us,” he further stressed.

The French Foreign Minister found a consensus in the analyzes of the four foreign ministers on the crises, citing Lebanon, the Sahel, the Near East, Syria and Libya. “Which will allow us to act together and convey our messages together to different partners who are now in conflict and allow them to emerge from the crisis they are in now, so that they can have stability and peace. “Development in the Eastern Mediterranean, in a spirit of consensus that I find here and I particularly welcome,” he said.