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N. Dendias: The countries of the Western Balkans should avoid falling into the trap of going back to 19th century practices

The strong commitment of Greece and Croatia, as partners and allies in the EU, to common values ​​and principles, as well as to their common vision for security, stability and prosperity in South East Europe, was confirmed during the meeting of Foreign Ministers Nikos Dendias and Gordan. Gordan Grlić Radman in the Croatian town of Pula. “Greece and Croatia are defending international law and good neighborly relations,” Nikos Dendias said in joint statements after the meeting.

He reiterated that for Greece the integration of the Western Balkans into the European family is a one-way street. In fact, he noted that as Greece was the first country in the region to join the then EEC, “we feel we have a moral duty to help those who are still outside Europe.” In this context, he expressed the full support of Greece in convening the first intergovernmental conference with Albania and Northern Macedonia as soon as possible.

Referring to the Kosovar Foreign Minister’s visit to Athens yesterday, Nikos Dendias said he encouraged her to continue her efforts in the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. Continuing on the same wavelength, he expressed confidence that progress in this Dialogue would bring the region closer to Europe, and said he had sent a clear message that “we support the efforts of EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak”. “This is the message that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will convey in Belgrade, where we will go next week,” he added.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the very worrying developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Nikos Dendias conveying the need for the countries of the Western Balkans to develop good neighborly relations with the countries of the wider region. But they must also avoid falling into the trap of going back to 19th-century practices, now disguised as neo-Ottoman or nationalist aspirations, manipulated by manipulating religious, historical and cultural correlations, he said. In addition, he stressed that there should be no room for nationalism and neo-Ottomanism, and expressed concern that the destabilization of Bosnia and Herzegovina could easily spread and affect the entire region. “And we can not allow that to happen,” he said, adding that he was pleased to discuss how this could be addressed. “Because together with Croatia and other countries with the same views, we can also work in the Council of Ministers to secure the coveted European course for the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he added.

Regarding bilateral relations, the Foreign Minister spoke of excellent ties that Greece and Croatia have built. Starting his statement, he said that it is a great pleasure to visit Croatia for the third time in a short time, noting that the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is imminent in the coming weeks. “The pace of these meetings testifies to the excellent bilateral ties that Greece and Croatia have built,” said Nikos Dendias. In this regard, he thanked for appreciating the role of Greek companies in infrastructure projects “for the creation of a better future for Croatia.

In a similar spirit, Nikos Dendias reiterated Greece’s full support for Croatia’s bid to join the Schengen area, the Eurozone, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). At the same time, he expressed the deep appreciation of Greece for the accession of Croatia to the group of Mediterranean countries of the European Union (EU-Med9).

Furthermore, Nikos Dendias discussed economic cooperation with his Croatian counterpart. In this light, the Foreign Minister noted that economic cooperation is progressing very well, but more can be done.

Referring to his participation in the conference on the Future of Europe held at the University of Pula, he said he was happy to have the opportunity to discuss with students, “with the next generation of Europe, the future and hope of Europe”, the common challenges. He emphasized that the issue was not a national one, but a European one, which should be addressed by all EU countries, such as immigration.

It is noted that answering a question at the conference, Nikos Dendias said that Greece does not need such a strong Armed Forces “because we face a threat. We are the only country in the world, Greece, a member of the EU, NATO, etc. that faces a threat of war, casus belli, from neighboring Turkey “.

SOURCE: AMPE

Source From: Capital

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