N. Dendias to EFSYN: We approach the dialogue in good faith

Greece is approaching the exploratory contacts with Turkey «in good faith, in a constructive spirit» and without provocation, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias noted in an interview with the «Journal of Editors», but he clarified once again that issues concerning national sovereignty and the demilitarization of the islands are not being discussed.

JOURNALIST: Mr.Dendia, a few days ago the Parliament passed the law to extend the territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nautical miles. What does this act mean and what will be the next step?;

N. DENDIAS: I think it was not a great honour for me to recommend to the National Delegation, on behalf of the Mitsotakis government, the adoption of a law that expands Greece by at least 10,000 square kilometres, and if we include the closure of the gulfs, then the expansion exceeds 13,000 square kilometres. But let me stress that the adoption of this law is a collective act of historic importance. Both in terms of its symbolism and its practical positive impact in securing our national rights. Greece's borders are growing. And they are growing in a peaceful manner, in application of international law, with all that it entails.

Not only did the government announce that it would extend the coastal zone, but it has done so. For decades, Greece has declared that it has this right and reserved the right to exercise it, but so far it has not done so. Now, the extension is a fact. As I have mentioned in the past, we have started the technical work in order to be ready to proceed with the extension of territorial waters to other areas of the territory. We reserve the inalienable right to extend our territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, anywhere and at any time, when it is deemed appropriate.

At this point, I would like to underline the positive attitude of the vast majority of the parliamentary opposition parties, which voted in favour of this bill. And the fact that no MP voted against it. I take this opportunity to express, once again, my thanks to my fellow Members of Parliament, as the adoption of the bill took place in a climate of national unanimity and, for the most part, meaningless counter-arguments and petty party calculations were avoided. Demonstrating in practice that national unity can be achieved in the face of the major security challenges facing the country As the Prime Minister said, the framework of national unity was broadened.

JOURNALIST: Do you have a secure picture of the process and the framework of the exploratory talks with Turkey? Can they last indefinitely, like the cycle that was interrupted in 2016, or is a timetable being discussed this time? And what happens in case the Turkish delegation raises issues of demilitarization of islands, changing the Aegean search and rescue responsibility boundaries, grey zones or whatever else it deems to suit its plans?;

DENDIAS: It has been almost five years since the last round of exploratory contacts, which were stopped [by Turkey] in March 2016. That is why they have taken - if you will allow me to use this expression - «a mythical dimension».
I am a realist by nature.

So I would like to underline what the exploratory ones are not: They are not negotiations. The purpose of contacts is to explore points of convergence for possible future negotiations on a single issue.
These contacts are also informal. No minutes are kept and neither side makes any commitments and obligations.

I want to be clear: the issue of possible future negotiations will be the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, on the basis of international law and how it can be achieved. In the absence of an agreement in negotiations, which may follow the exploratory talks, the two sides will have to agree on a compromise text to be submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
I also want to point out that the exploratory talks do not discuss the issue of demilitarization of the islands. There is no discussion of an issue concerning national sovereignty.

We come to these contacts in good faith. In a constructive spirit and, above all, we do not provoke. We do not wish to escalate. Nor do we seek to dynamite the exploratory ones in one way or another. On the contrary, we hope that these contacts will lead to a de-escalation. This is, after all, what the European Council underlined last December when it referred to the «smooth continuation» of exploratory contacts.
I hope that the Turkish side will come to these contacts in a similar spirit.

As far as the timetable is concerned, it would be appropriate to separate the various theories and speculations from the evidence, which is irrefutable. First of all, we are talking about a resumption of contacts.

Technically they never ended, they were just interrupted for a long period of time. Their periodicity was never a given. In the nearly two decades since the first meeting, there have been 60 rounds. So on average three rounds were held each year. The actual picture, however, is quite different. In the last five years there have been no rounds. One year there were more than ten rounds. Other years, with different governments in Athens, we have had only one round a year. So we cannot make any safe predictions in advance. The only sure thing, which I have already stressed, is the positive approach of Athens, which we sincerely hope will be echoed by Ankara, with a correspondingly positive approach.

JOURNALIST: When do you see a meeting with Mr.Cavusoglu?;

N. DENDIAS: As you know, my Turkish counterpart and I have a long friendship since we were both members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Our most recent meeting took place in Bratislava last October. At that time Mr Cavusoglu had promised that the Turkish side would propose dates for the exploratory talks. And instead he sent the Oruch Reis. The sequel is well known. But, this does not mean that we have cut the communication bridges. After the recent earthquake that struck Samos and especially Smyrna, I called him and offered Greece's help in evacuating the survivors. Some time later, when I was placed in preventive quarantine, Mr Cavusoglu called me to check on my health. Regarding, however, when there will be another bilateral meeting, the answer is: When conditions permit and there is the right climate that will allow such a meeting to be constructive.

JOURNALIST: In the update on the refugee issue that is expected in March in the general debate on Euro-Turkish relations, are there additional provisions on Turkey's obligations to avoid a repeat of the phenomenon of the instrumentalization of refugees at the border with Greece?;

N.DENDIAS: I would like to clarify regarding this issue, which we are monitoring jointly with the competent Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, that there is no question of updating or amending the EU-Turkey joint statement of March 2016. Such a discussion would open a can of worms. The 2016 declaration explicitly states three obligations that Turkey has undertaken and which it must fulfil: 1) to protect its borders in order to reduce illegal migration flows; 2) not to allow the creation of new migration routes; and 3) to accept returns. Unfortunately, Turkey is not fulfilling any of these obligations satisfactorily.

JOURNALIST: On the other side of our neighbourhood. What about the accession process for Albania and North Macedonia after the Bulgarian government's veto threat on the latter? Do you see a new initiative from the Portuguese presidency?;

N. A few days ago was the fortieth anniversary of a historic event, certainly for post-war Greece and I would dare to say for the historical course of the country in general: our accession to the then EEC, which was made possible thanks to the foresight of Constantine Karamanlis. At that time, Greece was the only country in the Balkans to enter this closed circle.

We then have a moral obligation to actively contribute to the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to join the European Union. Because first and foremost, this is in our interest. Their accession will consolidate security, prosperity and stability in the region. And at the same time, it will prevent the consolidation of revisionist and extremist influences or the attempt to revive empires that belong to the past.

That's why we offer all the help we can. We are actively on the side of our neighbours. We are now making efforts, within the European Union, to ensure that vaccines for COVID-19 are available as soon as possible.

But, their accession will be based on conditionality and the individual performance of each candidate state. There are a number of important criteria that must be met by both countries. Such as, for example, the implementation of the Prespa Agreement. This was an issue I discussed at length with my North Macedonian counterpart Mr. Osmani last week. And I stressed to him that even if there has been work towards implementing the name change, more progress is needed, on the one hand, in the implementation and consistent use of the name and, on the other hand, in eliminating the «archaization program». I would also like to add, with regard to Albania, the position of our country and the European Union to properly address the issues concerning the Greek minority.

JOURNALIST: With the new US administration under Joe Biden, do you think that the US will return and fill the vacuum that has been created in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region in recent years?;

DENDIAS: I look forward to a meeting with my new US counterpart Anthony Blinken to discuss the prospects for deepening bilateral cooperation, including the upgrade of the bilateral defence cooperation agreement (MDCA), but also developments in the wider region. We look forward to a more active US presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and the expansion of the US strategic footprint in our region. The form and time horizon of such a presence remains to be clarified. What we also expect is that the new US administration will place particular emphasis on developing transatlantic ties and cooperation with the European Union.

JOURNALIST: On the Cyprus issue you said you cannot be optimistic ahead of the informal talks in the five-party talks, with Turkey openly stating that it wants a two-state solution, equal both politically and sovereignly. Can there be a discussion about two diametrically opposed views?;

N.DENDIAS: The framework for the resolution of the Cyprus problem is one and well-known: a bizonal, bicommunal federation based on the decisions of the OHE Security Council and compatible with the European acquis. In any case, informal talks at a five-party meeting convened by the OHE Secretary General do not constitute formal negotiations.