Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ interview on PARAPOLITIKA 90.1 radio station with journalists Chr. Korai and D. Takis – main points (Athens, 11.10.2021)

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Miltiadis Varvitsiotis highlighted the benefits of the extension of the Greece-US Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement and spoke of irritation on the part of Turkey due to the Greece-France Defence Agreement in an interview on the PARAPOLITIKA 90.1 radio station with journalists Christina Korai and Dimitris Takis.

More specifically, the Alternate Minister said that there are “obvious benefits” from a “more permanent and augmented presence of American forces” in Greece. Moreover, he emphasized the deepening of the American presence in critical locations such as the port of Alexandroupolis, “which sends a very strong message regarding the protection of the Greek-Turkish border”. “It seems we are heading for a five-year extension of the agreement with the US, instead of an annual extension, as was the case until now”, he said.

Asked about the Turkish Foreign Minister’s recent statements, Mr. Varvitsiotis spoke of irritation on the part of Turkey due to the Greece-France Defence Agreement and the decisive steps that our country is taking as regards its armaments. “The rhetoric used by Mr. Çavuşoğlu is unprecedented and unheard of. It is very intense and aggressive, showing exactly how irritated the other side has been by these developments”, Mr. Varvitsiotis commented. He stressed that “we will do everything we can to avoid escalation, but we are also not going to give up our sovereign rights”.