Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ remarks at the Economist’s event “The world ahead 2023 Athens Gala Dinner” (Athens, 27.01.2023)
Addressing the Economist’s conference on the geopolitical challenges of 2023, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis highlighted Greece’s significant part in the stability of the South-Eastern Mediterranean as a stable ally of the US and Israel, as well as the opportunities opening up for energy cooperation. The conference, which was held on Friday evening, was also attended by the US Ambassador George Tsunis and Israeli Ambassador Noam Katz. “That we are open to dialogue with Turkey does not mean that we accept any discussion about our islands. We do not negotiate over our sovereignty”, signaled the Alternate Minister.
In particular Mr. Varvitsiotis underscored that Greece is opposed to any revisionist force that wishes to change borders and security architecture by force and is committed to defending International Law and especially the Law of the Sea. This principle, he said, pervades our foreign policy and that is why we have stood by Ukraine from the very first moment. At the same time, he stated that Turkish provocative conduct threatens security in the region, recalling that Turkey is the only country that has not ratified the critical NATO enlargement towards Sweden and Finland.
Reagarding energy, Mr. Varvitsiotis said that the Mitsotakis government is upgrading Greece’s role by turning it into an energy hub at a time when Europe is realizing that it is important not just where the energy it consumes comes from, but also the routes it takes. The Alternate Minister noted that the country plans to soon become an exporter of energy coming primarily from renewable sources, whose participation in our energy mix reached a record 50% in 2022 and for the further development of which massive investments are being undertaken. At the same time, he continued, Greece is advancing its energy interconnection with Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt so as to effectively use natural gas from the South-Eastern Mediterranean and transfer green electricity from Egypt, while enhancing LNG storage capacity in its ports, especially Alexandroupolis. At the same time, it is building its energy interconnection network with the Balkans by exporting energy.
The Alternate Minister also noted that the Southeastern Mediterranean is a critical region for the security of the whole of Europe and described Greece’s strategic alliance with Israel and the US as a cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy goal of achieving peace and security in the Mediterranean, underscoring that we share common values, principles, and goals with these two countries.