N. Dendias: Today's Turkey deviates from that of the early 2000s

Greece will join the exploratory contacts whenever they start with a sincere will and a constructive attitude, Dendias said in an interview with Kathimerini newspaper, stressing that the agenda of the exploratory contacts is specific and cannot be changed.

“The one of the interlocutors cannot unilaterally decide to broaden the agenda. This amounts to an attempt to undermine these contacts,” he said.

But the Foreign Minister stresses that what worries him is that “the Turkey of 2021 is not the Turkey of 2016, when the last round of exploratory contacts took place so far”.

“Today's Turkey deviates from the Turkey of the early 2000s, when it was looking towards European integration. But of course, no one can decide a new change of course on its behalf. I sincerely hope so.”.

Regarding the bill on the extension of territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, Mr.Dendias stresses that “it is the first extension of the boundaries of the Greek State since 1947, always by peaceful means and on the basis of international law”.

“We are preparing for expansion to other regions of the country,” he stresses. “We are taking the necessary technical steps to be ready when it is deemed appropriate to move forward. When this happens is a political choice.”.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, Mr.Dendias stresses that he cannot be pessimistic, as “the rhetoric coming from Turkish officials, but also from the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr.Tatar, is not encouraging”.

However, he points out that Athens, always in full coordination with Nicosia, will participate in an informal five-party conference if the UN Secretary General convenes it and reminds that our position “is known and stable, namely a bizonal bicommunal federation on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the acquis communautaire”.

Asked about relations between Athens and Washington, the Foreign Minister said that they are discussing a multi-year agreement on mutual defence cooperation.

“Our ambition is to continue and further strengthen our relations with the US,” he says.

“Our goal is to complete the negotiations on the adaptation of the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement so that on the one hand there is a very long-term perspective - not to need renewal every year - and on the other hand to increase the footprint of the American presence in Greece.”.

Mr.Dendias notes that the American presence will strengthen the geopolitical importance of our country in the wider region, while he describes a strong and lasting US presence in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region as useful.

Referring to the relations that Greece is developing with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, but also Israel and Egypt, are currently aimed at stopping the revisionist Turkish provocative behaviour, but not the country in general.

Greece's relations “with these countries, whether in bilateral or multilateral formats, are not directed against anyone”, he notes and stresses that “Turkey could also participate in these formats”, provided that it “accepts that disputes must be resolved peacefully, on the basis of international law”.

The Foreign Minister said that last year Greece closed outstanding issues that had been open for decades, with the agreements with Italy and Egypt, the cooperation with the UAE and the agreement with Albania to resolve the issue of maritime zones at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

“The Mitsotakis government faced with sufficient confidence diverse challenges and hybrid threats in the past year,” he said.

“Our country does not remain hostage to rhetorical pursuits of zero results or constant procrastination. It is asserting its rights and national interests through agreements.”.

In 2021 it will continue on these bases, developing bilateral relations, trilateral - multilateral schemes and with a particularly active presence in international organizations.

In addition to the defence agreement with the US, the government aims to reach a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and deepen cooperation with France. At the same time, it is establishing new channels with emerging powers and countries in Asia and Africa, such as India and Kenya, and is seeking active participation and contribution to regional initiatives in the Western Balkans.

It aims to strengthen multilateral initiatives, together with Cyprus, and with the countries of the region that share the same principles, Egypt, Israel and Jordan, while looking forward to strengthening these schemes with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Greece will develop initiatives within the framework of the European Union, the UN, the OSCE and even NATO, the Foreign Minister said.

Finally, when asked about Albania, Mr.Dendias noted that “on the issue of the appeal to The Hague, the competent technical teams are continuing their work. The aim is to sign and submit the compromise as soon as possible, I guess after the parliamentary elections in Albania in April”.

He recalls that all Albanian political forces support that the issue of the delimitation of the maritime zones between the two countries should be resolved on the basis of the International Law of the Sea by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. “This is exactly what we are saying to our Turkish interlocutors,” he notes.

He adds that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has acknowledged that Greece has the inalienable unilateral right to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles.

“He added that Albania had done the same thing 30 years ago. And therefore no third country can oppose this right or - I add - even more so threaten war.”.

N. Stamoulis