The diplomatic demarcation of Athens and the answers to the new challenges of Ankara

By Dimitris Gatsios

The answers that Athens gives to the new waves of the inflammatory rhetoric of Ankara are resounding, which… is tied, once again, to the chariot of challenges, negatively ionizing the region. The unhistorical and non-existent attitudes of the neighbor’s leadership, as well as the provocation of Turkey are at the center of the ongoing diplomatic demarcation of the Greek capital. Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Belgrade and Nikos Dendias from Oslo informed in detail about the barrage of daily offensive positions of Ankara, with Greece expanding its στα footprint in the Western Balkans, as the prime minister after Bulgaria and Croatia paid an official visit to Serbia, where he had talks with the country’s president.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis informed Aleksandar Vucic for the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the return of Turkey to aggressive rhetoric and provocative actions that violate international law, but also for the firm commitment of our country to the good faith dialogue with Ankara, on the basis of international legitimacy. In fact, the Prime Minister’s loud signals had preceded, early Tuesday afternoon, from the floor of Parliament, addressed to both Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO partners. “Greece has no need to launch flares to distract international attention from what is happening in its society, as unfortunately our neighbors do. It is proud of both its economy and its democratic functioning. It is a country with confidence in every a country that is consistent in all its alliances… This must first be realized by the West, when it faces external security challenges, but with the same seriousness as those that arise within it. They are talking about a common front against Moscow because of the tensions in Ukraine, a fundamental contradiction within the Euro-Atlantic context itself, a partner, stable and peaceful, threatened by another who ignores international law and its rules. “Sometimes he blackmails her, equipping himself with Russian systems. Equal distances no longer fit here,” he said. “We face violations of our national airspace on a daily basis by Turkey. And a situation where Turkish officials on a daily basis have entered a barrage of illegal and provocative statements against us. Statements that are not related to international law, nor the law. of the Sea “, noted, for his part, the head of Greek diplomacy.

With Athens strengthening its alliances either at the level of Brussels or at the level of the Balkans, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is going to Brussels this morning, in order to give the “present” at the European Union-African Union Summit. However, the focus is mainly on the informal meeting of the “27” leaders that will take place earlier, with the main menu being the latest developments in Ukraine. In his talks with Aleksandar Vuτςiτς, the Prime Minister pointed out the special interest of our country for the developments, due to the presence of a large Greek community in Ukraine and stressed the need to de-escalate and seek a solution through diplomatic and political means, based on international law. and existing international agreements. Something that is expected to be repeated today, without ruling out, during the talks, to make reference to the provocation shown by Turkey again.

As government officials point out, the European Union Summit with African countries seeks to lay the foundations for an ambitious partnership between Brussels and Africa that addresses the full range of challenges. From the green transition and tackling the effects of climate change, to digital transformation, job creation, migration and mobility. In this context, the government’s strategic choice is to open up and strengthen relations with sub-Saharan Africa, something that is already underway through “vaccine diplomacy”, with Athens having donated three million doses to Africa. In terms of energy and the green transition of the African continent, as executives also comment, Greece already plays a key role as a bridge between Europe and Africa through Egypt. The agreement signed by Athens and Cairo last October on the electricity interconnection of the two countries is the first project to connect Africa with Europe and turns our country into a bridge for the transmission of clean electricity. At the same time, the Greek-Egyptian project is of great economic and geopolitical importance, as through it Europe can provide stable and cheap “clean” electricity and has already been recognized as of strategic importance by both Brussels and the United States of America.