Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis meets with Spain’s State Secretary for the European Union Pascual Ignacio Navarro Rios (Athens, 31.03.2023)

“Greece and Spain enhance their cooperation in the face of shared challenges and coordinate their policies in view of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union”. This was emphasized by Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis following his meeting today with Spain’s State Secretary for the European Union, Pascual Ignacio Navarro Rios, who is visiting Greece.

In particular, in view of Spain’s assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023, the Spanish Secretary of State briefed Mr. Varvitsiotis on the Presidency’s priorities. For his part, the Alternate Minister wished him every success in the preparations.  In addition, Mr. Varvitsiotis welcomed the priorities relating to energy market reform and the continuation of price reductions, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in strengthening European energy security. Furthermore, the Alternate Minister referred to the need for coordination among Southern European countries in view of the revision of the European financial rules, noting that the new rules should be development-oriented, encourage investment, and provide flexibility to Member States. Regarding migration, Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed out that it is a significant issue for the two countries, due to their particular geographical location, and that security at the country’s external borders is a top priority for Greece and the Greek government. The two ministers agreed that a coherent European migration policy, accompanied by adequate European funding for frontline member states bearing the greatest burden, is required.

Lastly, the Alternate Minister briefed his Spanish counterpart on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and underlined that Greece is always open to dialogue with Turkey, but this requires that Ankara does not question Greek sovereign rights. The war in Ukraine and the enlargement of the European Union were also addressed.