Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ interview with “CNN Greece” (08.04.2022)

JOURNALIST: Minister, enough time has passed, in terms of diplomacy, since the meeting between Mitsotakis and Erdoğan. Do the signals sent in the meantime allow for cautious optimism as regards a change of direction in Turkish policy towards Greece?

N. DENDIAS: First of all, Mr. Papakonstantinou, I would like to emphasize that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a completely different geopolitical environment which poses increasing risks and challenges at the international level.

Respect for International Law and the renunciation of all forms of revisionism are becoming more urgent than ever in order to peacefully resolve differences and reduce tensions in the wider region.

Greece wishes to contribute constructively to meeting the emerging challenges and consolidate its position as a factor of stability and cooperation, with respect for International Law at the sharp end of its foreign policy.

These are the principles we put forward in all our contacts with Turkish officials. On the other hand, we do not harbour any delusions.

We are aware that Turkish policy continues to constitute a challenge not only to Greece, but to the European Union as well.

We took notice of Turkey’s strong reaction to the adoption of the ‘Strategic Compass’ by the EU Foreign Affairs Council, a reaction which is not consistent with a country that looks forward to its European future.

It is entirely up to the Turkish side whether the generally positive climate that prevailed in the meeting of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with Turkish President Erdoğan will continue and be confirmed in practice by subsequent developments.

JOURNALIST: How do we evaluate, for instance, the distinctive and persistent references to cooperation in the exploitation of the natural resources of the Aegean in Turkish rhetoric?

N. DENDIAS: Our country’s position is clear and given: we have a specific dispute with Turkey, the delimitation of the continental shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, a dispute which must be resolved on the basis of International Law and, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). If no bilateral agreement can be reached in this specific context, we propose that the issue be referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

At this point, let me emphasize once again that Greek foreign policy is a policy of principles which stem from respect for International Law. And we will continue to uphold and apply these principles. In this regard, any proposal for “joint exploitation” is unrealistic.

JOURNALIST:  What exactly was the meaning of the remark you made following your meeting with your Egyptian counterpart that the crisis in Ukraine “creates the need to review tactics and fully reconsider various issues”? How is this need reflected in the major issues of our national agenda?

N. DENDIAS: The Russian invasion sets new and unprecedented situations for all of us. When things settle down – and I sincerely hope the situation de-escalates soon – we will have to address multiple challenges.

And I’m not referring just to challenges in the geopolitical sphere but also to other challenges, such as energy and food security, the impact on the economy and the safeguarding of the citizens’ living standards. For us, the fundamental principles of Greek foreign policy remain firm and absolute: respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

However, the new, still volatile situation brings to the fore the need for a broader reassessment of priorities by all international actors.

Our goal is to intensify efforts to formulate a regional system that will ensure future stability, security and prosperity.

Regarding the objectives of our national agenda, I believe that the regional cooperation schemes that our country has developed, together with other countries in the region, can serve as a solid foundation on which broader collaborations can be built in a number of areas that will be of increased interest to us in the near future, such as energy security, civil protection and tourism.

That implies, of course, that all countries in the region will refrain from revisionism and aggressive moves, as well as from rhetoric against other states.

JOURNALIST: Emmanuel Macron has announced an initiative to send humanitarian aid to Mariupol co-sponsored by France, Greece and Turkey. In fact, this coincides with the preparatory actions of the Greek diplomacy for the same purpose which you announced a few days ago, expressing the intention to lead this mission yourself. How strong a message your simultaneous presence there with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs would send?

N. DENDIAS: The protection of civilians in Ukraine is a top priority for Greece. And it is normal for our efforts to focus on Mariupol, for two reasons.

Firstly, it is the area most affected by the war and the provision of humanitarian aid there is urgent.

Secondly, a large Greek community lives in this area and it is a matter of honour for the Greek state to support it in every possible way.

That is the reason why I have announced my intention to personally accompany the humanitarian mission to this martyr city, in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, when conditions on the ground allow for its safe transport.

At the same time, I raised the issue of the need to support Mariupol in the last EU Foreign Affairs Council and I keep raising it in my contacts with my counterparts.

Therefore, I cannot but be satisfied when I see other countries sharing the same concern and the same interest.

And at this point, I should like to make special mention of France, with which we are indeed in coordination, and, in fact, points of contact have been designated between the Greek and French Ministries of Foreign Affairs on the issue of humanitarian aid in Mariupol.

And let me add one more thing:

Our interest in Mariupol is not limited to any relief we can offer to its residents during the war. We are determined to support the city at a later stage, with the reconstruction of its maternity hospital, as announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, being the first symbolic step.

Speaking of Ukraine, let me reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of the horrific crimes committed during the withdrawal of Russian occupation forces against Ukrainian civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, which were revealed a few days ago.

Those responsible for these crimes must be held accountable. For this reason, we called for the immediate investigation of the crimes and the punishment of those responsible.

JOURNALIST: A few days ago, you travelled to Odessa, in fact under adverse conditions. What was the reason for your visit to this city?

N. DENDIAS: Indeed, a few hours before my arrival in Odessa, Russian missiles hit facilities a few kilometers from the city center.

This visit was important in many aspects.

First of all, it signaled the importance that Greece attaches to the Greek Diaspora living there, members of which I had the opportunity to meet.

Also, our Consulate General, the only consulate of a European country, operated again.

I carried humanitarian aid as a sign of Greece’s support for Ukraine. I even had contacts with the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as with the Mayor of the city.

Finally, we should not forget that Odessa is inextricably linked to Greek history, as the headquarters of the Filiki Etairia was located there. I visited again the Museum of the Filiki Etairia – as I travelled to Odessa last July as well-, which fortunately has not suffered any damages.

JOURNALIST: Last Tuesday Athens hosted the trilateral Meeting between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. What were the results of this meeting? Especially in the field of collaboration against the backdrop -if you may say so- of the different messages being sent on the EastMed pipeline?

N. DENDIAS: Our meeting took place in the framework of the trilateral cooperation scheme that has been developing in recent years, building bridges of trust between our countries.

In this context, we agreed to develop a cooperation mechanism on civil protection and tourism, two key areas for our country, as well as for our partners.

The meeting of the three countries is a demonstration of our common will to continue planning actions aimed at promoting peace, stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, as we share the same vision in terms of security challenges and threats.

Also, we seek to promote the mutual benefit that comes from good neighborly relations, when they are based on respect for International Law, and to ensure safe conditions for the synergies arising from the energy perspectives of the Eastern Mediterranean.

I underline that this cooperation will continue to develop, regardless of relations with third countries. That was the message we received from our Israeli counterpart.

At the same time, the Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the urgent need for new infrastructure so that we become less dependent on Russia.

In this context, Greece has the potential to become a regional gas delivery hub, both through the liquefied gas conversion facilities in Revythousa and Alexandroupolis, as well as through the various pipelines, existing and planned ones.

In this context, we discussed cooperation in the field of energy and made explicit reference to both the EastMed pipeline and the electricity connection – the Euro-Asia Interconnector, which will follow the same route as EastMed.

Regarding EastMed in particular, as I have said before, developments on this matter depend primarily on its economic viability, technical capabilities and its environmental impact, rather than geopolitical choices.

Finally, let me add that in addition to the Trilateral Meeting, I had a one-on-one meeting with my Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, a week after my meeting with my Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Sukri, as well as with the US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.

The deepening of relations both with the countries of the region and with our Transatlantic Ally is even more imperative in the light of the new global challenges. And we have been actively working in that direction.

A few days ago, a landmark meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Israel, the United States and four Arab countries (Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain) took place in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

The fact that Greece has privileged relations with all the above countries is the result of continuous efforts that put us at the heart of developments and not on the margins.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out how important I consider our strategic relationship with Egypt to be. I would also like to point out how decisive the Greek-Egyptian Agreement on the delimitation of maritime zones is for the energy interconnection of the EU and our country with Africa.

Finally, I met again with my Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides, with whom we are in constant contact and close coordination on all issues.