“None of the Turkish provocations remain unanswered. Greece leaves nothing unanswered. In order to defend our national interests, we consider it our duty to respond in every way to unhistorical provocative statements and actions that violate or create conditions for the violation of our national sovereignty”. This was emphasized by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, commenting on the letter sent by Greece to the UN regarding the illegal Turkish-Libyan “memorandum”, in an interview today with “Real FM” and journalist Nikos Hadjinikolaou.
In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis underscored that, as the letter points out, the transitional government of Libya lacks the authority to sign international agreements. Moreover, the content of the agreement itself violates International Law and the Law of the Sea.
In response to the Turkish accusations regarding the eastern Aegean islands, the Alternate Minister reiterated that the army is on the islands not in order to threaten Turkey, but rather in order to defend ourselves against Turkish aggression, the casus belli and the questioning of our national sovereignty. Furthermore, he stated that Greece is ready to face any challenge on the ground, that it is considerably stronger than it was in 2020, that it is better equipped and has forged stronger international alliances.” Our country has become a very important partner for both the European Union and the United States in the region, which strengthens its defense arsenal,” he underlined.
Finally, in response to a question about rising prices, Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed out that the government has been taking systematic measures over the past nine months to address the global inflationary crisis, including subsidies for electricity bills, the household basket, an increase in the minimum wage, benefits for those in need, and reduction of taxation. “We are trying to control inflation in necessities and will do whatever is possible,” he concluded.