Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ remarks at the Delphi Economic Forum (Delphi, 28.04.2023)

“We want Türkiye to be a reliable NATO partner. This means sharing the same values, not posing a threat to other member states, and supporting EU enlargement and sanctions against Russia”.

This message was conveyed today by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, from the Delphi Economic Forum, during a discussion themed “How the war in Ukraine changes NATO”.

The Alternate Minister also stated that the security environment in Europe has changed and that the EU must work to ensure that there is no room for violence from other revisionist powers, following the end of the war in Ukraine. “There are challenges from other revisionist forces in our neighborhood as well”, he pointedly said.

Mr. Varvitsiotis also expressed concern about Europe’s ability to operate outside the NATO umbrella, as demonstrated by its inability to carry out a joint operation to evacuate European citizens from Sudan. He emphasized the need for the EU to strengthen its defense capabilities and speak with a single voice, as it did in the case of sanctions against Russia.

Speaking about the relations between Europe and the US, the Alternate Minister underscored that the bond between the two sides goes beyond their cooperation within NATO and extends to common values, society, economy, and democracy. As he described it, the main challenge for the two sides is to combat every revisionist power in the world.

Regarding China, Mr. Varvitsiotis stated that the EU is the world’s second-largest economy, while China is a significant trading partner that cannot be ignored in addressing global challenges such as climate change.