“Borders should remain inviolable. Any expansionism or revisionism, focused on the past, cannot be accepted. This is not a time for the revival of old and long-dead empires. It is a time when respect for International Law should prevail in international relations”. This was emphasized by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis during his speech in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon in the framework of the works of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Group on the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

The Alternate Minister, in particular, raised the issue of Turkish provocative conduct before the members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, noting that challenges to our national sovereignty, overflights, violations of sea and air borders, illegal seismic surveys, the conclusion of invalid agreements with third countries, such as the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, and an aggressive rhetoric that almost daily ends with the phrase “we will come suddenly one night” do not constitute a framework for constructive cooperation within an alliance which strives to guarantee security.

“We remain committed to what the International Law provides for and we do not want to engage in a “cockfight”-style dialogue with Turkey aimed at domestic political audiences. On the contrary, our sole dispute, namely the delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ, is a pending issue that comes from the past and must be resolved immediately in the present for the sake of the overall security framework that we must guarantee for our citizens”, Mr. Varvitsiotis stated. He added that “we want to refer this sole dispute to the competent international tribunal under the International Law of the Sea, which Turkey has not signed but is a global asset”. In the same vein, after emphasizing that Greece will continue to stand by Ukraine, Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed to Turkey’s responsibility for the non-completion of Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to NATO. He described Turkey’s stance as extremely counterproductive, in contrast to Greece, which signed and ratified the accession of the two countries very early on. “The accession of the two countries is a very strong signal about the essence of the NATO alliance, namely solidarity and common defense against common threats”, the Alternate Minister said, adding that “it is our duty to preserve the principles of liberal cooperation, which are being attacked by voices of populism and nationalism around the globe”.

Mr. Varvitsiotis described Turkey’s non-compliance with the European acquis and the framework of sanctions against Russia as equally problematic, noting that Turkey “provides alternative ways out for the Russian Federation” and reaps “specific economic benefits” by avoiding implementing the sanctions, in contrast to the price paid by Greece and all other countries, particularly in energy, tourism, and exports.  “At a time when people are suffering here, others are making money. Turkey has doubled the seats on its airplanes to accommodate Russian passengers. In addition, Russian oligarchs who used to dock at other ports, have moved to Turkish ports,” he added in response to a statement made by Turkish MP Ahmet Yildiz.

On the other hand, the Alternate Minister emphasized Greece’s significant contribution to NATO’s overall security framework, underscoring its high percentage of defence spending, its participation in all defence cooperation exercises and its role as a “bridge of energy security”.  He underlined, in particular, Greece’s energy interconnection with Bulgaria, as well as the transfer of electricity via submarine cables and pipelines that will link us to the wider Middle East region. Referring to the key role of the port of Alexandroupolis, he stated that it has become “a strategic hub for the strengthening of the NATO forces and South-East Europe’s energy decoupling from Russian gas”.

Lastly, regarding the Eastern Mediterranean region, Mr Varvitsiotis pointed out that security, stability, and peace in the region are pillars not only of our national but also of European policy, as they directly affect European and global security. “Our goal is to transform the Mediterranean Sea into a sea of peace and constructive cooperation, rather than a field of fruitless confrontations. That is why, above all, dialogue and a cooperative spirit are required “, he emphasized. In this context, he referred to the recent Israel -Lebanon delimitation of maritime zones, describing it as a historic agreement, a model of peaceful settlement of differences and a milestone of regional cooperation, which is an example of how International Law can resolve problems and facilitate the exploitation of the region’s energy resources, at a time when Russia is instrumentalizing energy.