Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis participates in the Trilateral Meeting of the Ministers for European Affairs of Greece Bulgaria and Romania (Sofia 14.10.2022)

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis sent a strong message against Turkish revisionism in joint statements with Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova and Romanian Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniela Grigore Gitman, following the conclusion of their trilateral meeting which was held in a very good climate in Sofia, Bulgaria.

More specifically, the Alternate Minister stated that “revisionism is not welcome in Europe” and that “Turkish revisionist claims to change borders and treaties are out of the question in present-day Europe”.  Mr. Varvitsiotis, who briefed his colleagues on Turkish provocative conduct in the Eastern Mediterranean, pointed out that the Greek government and the Greek people are determined to defend the country’s borders whenever they are threatened.  
“We hope that these provocations remain in words and do not become real provocations on the ground, because this would endanger the overall stability in our region, which has already been affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he noted. “Greece and Turkey must work together as NATO members, as allies, not as enemies,” he added.

Furthermore, as the trilateral meeting focused on energy issues, Mr Varvitsiotis stressed the need to diversify the sources and routes through which energy enters Europe, “so that in future we are not blackmailed again by any leader who wants to instrumentalize energy”. “Eastern Mediterranean deposits are particularly significant and could be an alternative source of energy for Europe’s energy shortage”, he stated.

In this regard, the three countries agreed that, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is an even greater need for a “common response to common challenges,” as well as for increased regional and European cooperation to address rising energy prices and find more sources of energy. The Alternate Minister referred, in particular, to the energy interconnection between Greece and Bulgaria and the IGB interconnector pipeline.

Finally, regarding the war in Ukraine the Alternate Minister emphasized the importance of all three countries working together to reconstruct and regenerate the country, that has been severely affected. “The recent escalation of the war is particularly worrying, and we must respond in unison, not only with sanctions, but also by giving Ukrainians hope that their lives can be improved in a peaceful environment and in close cooperation with the European Union and its member states,” he concluded.

During an informal dinner held the previous day, the participants exchanged views on the situation in the Western Balkans and the potential for expanding regional cooperation.