“The armament programs that we have carried out as well as the international agreements that we have concluded, have strengthened the deterrent capacity of the country.  Furthermore, the fact that today Greece has a much stronger voice both in Europe and in the United States is also a matter of concern for Turkey,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis underscored speaking today on  SKAI TV’s show “Oi Atairiastoi”  and to journalists Yannis Ntsounos and Christos Koutras.

Mr. Varvitsiotis reiterated that the government is prepared for all eventualities, emphasizing that the international response, both from the EU and the US, is united against Turkish provocative conduct. The fact that Greek-Turkish relations have turned into an election campaign issue in Turkey does not help in the de-escalation, he added.

Regarding the agreement with Egypt on the employment of 5,000 agricultural workers, the Alternate Minister commented that “we want to respond to the demand of the agricultural world” for workers, estimating that all procedures for the ratification of the agreement will be completed by the beginning of next year, so that it can be implemented ahead of the spring season. He underlined that employers should understand that “we are not providing them with workers for illegal and underpaid work, but with workers that should be paid decently”, as “we cannot return to the “Manolada” era “.  The government is considering similar agreements with other countries in our neighbourhood and with countries further afield, possibly for a longer period of time, he stated.

Lastly, when asked about the elections, Mr. Varvitsiotis expressed confidence that New Democracy will gain clear majority and referred to the prevailing climate in his constituency, the neighbourhoods of West Athens, noting that there is not a similar climate among SYRIZA supporters.