Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias’ statement to journalists at the beginning of his visit to Argentina (Buenos Aires, 08.02.2022)

N. DENDIAS: We are in the midst of a tour of six Latin and Central American countries here in Buenos Aires.  Four of them have never been visited by a Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs before. An important tour -eight Memoranda, four Agreements- which falls within the context of a broad-based strategy and serves both our goal of being elected to the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the Presidency of the United Nations General Assembly, and our goal of making the Greek position on International Law and the International law of the Sea broadly understood.

Aside from that, I have repeatedly stated that Greece has to develop both its political and economic relations beyond the narrow horizons, and that is what we are pursuing.

JOURNALIST: Minister, do you believe that the wave of solidarity that has arisen following the earthquake tragedy in Turkey and Syria can create conditions for the improvement of the climate in Greek-Turkish relations?

N. DENDIAS: First of all, the Greek Government has expressed its deepest sorrow, at every level in Turkey, for the consequences of the devastating earthquake on the families of the victims. And we have offered all the assistance we can and will continue to do so.

This wave of mutual understanding means something of great importance: that the two societies, the Greek and the Turkish, are psychologically very close.   We are neighbours, we have a past, and we will have a future. So, what I think is emerging is that the feelings between people are often different from those expressed by their leaderships.  

JOURNALIST: Minister, after the two EMAK units have been sent, will this assistance to Turkey continue and in what way? And whether there will be any assistance to Syria.

N. DENDIAS: First and foremost, as regards Turkey, we will continue to assist in any way we can. Aside from that, of course, the earthquake was not limited to Turkey, it has affected, it has also hit a very large part of Syria.  Despite the sanctions policy against the Syrian regime, we have been trying from the very beginning to assist in any way we can. We have been in contact with the Patriarchate of Antioch, as well as with the United Nations. Human suffering has no borders, it does not face any sanctions. The Greek Government will do everything it can to assist where it can, including, of course, in Syria.