Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ interview with the newspaper ‘KEFALAIO’ and Capital.gr, and journalist Spyros Dimitrelis (22.01.2022)

JOURNALIST: Minister, are you concerned about the escalation of Turkish rhetoric regarding the militarization of the islands? Ankara now directly raises the question of our sovereignty over the islands.

N. DENDIAS: There is indeed an escalation of the rhetoric of the Turkish government, which does not even attempt to keep up appearances on a verbal level and calls into question the achievements of decades, making outrageous claims that defy every notion of common sense and, of course, of international legality.

Raising such issues, at a time when the country in question is threatening with war in the event a sovereign country exercises its inalienable right, provided for in international law, does not correspond to the level of relations that Greece seeks to cultivate with all its neighbouring countries.

For the Greek government, things are perfectly clear: our country has the absolute right to self-defence. This is provided for in the United Nations Charter. This situation became even more imperative following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus; hence, the defence of the islands is an absolute and legal right of our country.

We have rejected Turkey’s unilateral claims about the militarization status of the islands through the letter of the Greek Permanent Representative to the UN, addressed to the Secretary-General of the Organization, Antonio Guterres. In this letter, Turkish claims are deemed totally unfounded, unsubstantiated, legally and historically incorrect and are therefore rejected in their entirety, also on the basis of provisions of International Agreements that are in force and form an integral part of International Law.

It is absolutely clear that Greece leaves no provocation go unanswered. We seek constructive dialogue and the promotion of a “positive agenda”, but always on the basis of International Law, especially the International Law of the Sea.

No one should harbour any illusions regarding Greece’s will to defend its sovereignty and sovereign rights. Our country is continuously working to create new cooperation schemes and is emerging as a regional pole of stability, when Turkey, contrary to our desire, plays a destabilizing role.

JOURNALIST: Which are the risks emerging as regards Greek foreign policy, due to the tension between NATO and Russia over Ukraine?

N. DENDIAS: It is obvious that the escalation in Russia-Ukraine relations in recent months carries the risk of triggering war in Europe. Things are at a critical juncture, despite the talks that took place last week and which, reasonably, will continue next week. The whole situation can cause a chain reaction and endanger the wider security framework in the region, at a time when, in fact, we – all countries – are facing an energy crisis, but also the economic repercussions of the health crisis for more than two years.

The situation must be de-escalated immediately, always taking into account the need to respect Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the fundamental principles of International Law. This is our basic and inviolable principle.

At the same time, however, Russia is an integral part of the European security architecture. That is why we have emphasized that the channels of communication with this country need to remain open.

Greece, of course, as a member of the EU and NATO, always acts within the established principles and values. However, it maintains long-standing and multifaceted historical and cultural ties with Russia.

JOURNALIST: How does Greece assess the recent State Department non-paper on the East Med pipeline and the withdrawal of US support for the project? Is Greece still committed to this plan?

N. DENDIAS: First of all, Mr. Dimitrelis, I would like to emphasize that Greece has emerged as a vital transit hub in the energy sector. It now plays an important role in energy planning in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as in the US strategic planning.

Our country participates in energy projects, developing synergies and forging alliances with neighbouring countries and implements International Law in practice. In this context, the Greek government is examining all plans that could be technically and economically viable, always based on the estimates made by the markets.

A typical example, which may have been under-reported, was the signing a few months ago of the memorandum on the electricity interconnection between Greece and Egypt in the framework of the “EuroAfrica Interconnector”. This Agreement, which concerns the first interconnection of Europe with Africa in the region of Southeastern Mediterranean, implements in practice the Agreement on the delimitation of maritime zones with Egypt, while consolidating the significant geopolitical and energy position of our country in the wider region.

At the same time, I would like to emphasize the unfailing cooperation with the USA within the framework of the 3 + 1 initiative (Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the USA), as well as the US support for the establishment of floating LNG storage and regasification unit in Alexandroupolis, the creation of interconnectors with the countries on our northern borders, as well as the “Euro-Asia Interconnectοr”, which provides for the electricity connection between Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

The political will of the USA in this direction is a given and has been declared in the most formal way. Since you are asking about East Med, let me make one remark: the issue is not of geopolitical nature, but purely an issue of economic viability and environmental concern.

JOURNALIST: Are you satisfied with the implementation of the Prespa Agreement? Are you concerned about the political instability in the neighbouring country and more broadly in the region of the Western Balkans?

N. DENDIAS: The message of the Greek government is clear: the full, consistent and in good faith implementation of the Prespa Agreement is a necessary foundation for the further strengthening of our bilateral relations, but also an essential prerequisite for the progress of the North Macedonia’s European course. The departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are closely monitoring this process. We are pleased to record every step taken towards its implementation and we take appropriate action on any deficiencies or delays we find.

As for the second part of your question, it is true that recently we have had a resurgence of crises and tensions in the Western Balkans. Of particular concern is the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where unfortunately the possibility of unrest is a catastrophic scenario. For this reason, we make every effort to consolidate stability in the region and are in constant contact with our partners.

A few days ago I was in Croatia, and at the end of the week I will accompany the Prime Minister to Serbia. For us, the European perspective of the Western Balkans is a one-way street and we are continuously working in this direction.

JOURNALIST: In recent years we have seen a significant increase in foreign investment, as a result of the country’s economic diplomacy as well. What is the role of economic diplomacy in the effort to develop the Greek economy and reinforce our national strategy?

N. DENDIAS: Indeed, significant work has already been carried out in attracting flagship investments in areas such as the green economy, energy and technological innovation. The result of our efforts, which have been undertaken by the competent Deputy Minister, Kostas Fragogiannis, and the Secretary-General, Ioannis Smyrlis, and which are reflected in the increase of exports and investment, is the spectacular improvement of Greece’s image, which is now considered to be a reliable interlocutor and a safe investment destination.

Obviously, these particularly positive developments did not come about by chance, but they are the result of a specific strategy and systematic work. Economic diplomacy has become a key priority of our foreign policy. In this context, we have set as main objectives the support of Greek export businesses and the further attraction of foreign investment, while the first National Strategic Openness Plan has already been drawn up, where these objectives are specified and implemented through coordinated actions at bilateral and multilateral level, as well as at the level of development cooperation.

JOURNALIST: What are the objectives and results of the recent energetic openings of Greek diplomacy in African countries?

N. DENDIAS: The opening of our foreign policy to sub-Saharan Africa constitutes a strategic choice. As you know, I visited Rwanda, Gabon and Ghana last November and made my first trip of the year to Nigeria and Angola.

It is no coincidence, after all, that in a few weeks I will travel to Senegal for the opening of our Embassy there, as well as to the Gambia and Cape Verde. Let me just point out that all of the above states had never been visited by a Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs before. The only Greek official to visit Nigeria was, in 2018, the then-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick, who met with members of the Greek community and Nigerian government officials.

These visits fall within the scope of broadening our country’s international contacts, taking into account our candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2025-26 term.

The African continent has the largest economic as well as population growth in the world. New opportunities are being presented, especially in the economic field, but at the same time new challenges are emerging, such as in the Sahel region, which is becoming breeding ground for terrorist organizations and traffickers.

We plan to increase our footprint and influence, based on the strong presence of Greek expatriates and their historical communities, but also on the fact that Greece is a country with no colonial past. At the same time, as a member state of the European Union, we can become a bridge to Europe and help strengthen EU-Africa relations.