Message that unilateral demarcations have no legal force was sent by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Gerapetritis, from the podium of the 7th Forum of the Economic Postman.
He said that Greece will not discuss on speculation about the bill that Ankara is reportedly promoting on maritime zones, but that it will not accept unilateral actions that attempt to create a fait accompli.
In response to questions about the meeting he had in Sofia with Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakcan Fidan, Gerapetriti replied that so far there is no official position of the Turkish government nor is the content of the text known.
The Foreign Minister said that the Greek government will not formulate policy based on Turkish press reports and noted that international law provides for a specific methodology for maritime delimitations. He stressed that any unilateral act by a state cannot produce legal effects or set an international precedent.
At the same time, however, he acknowledged that any attempt to create new data by any country can lead to an escalation of tensions, sending a message that Athens is closely monitoring developments.
No concessions
Gerapetritis noted that Greece seeks calm and the maintenance of channels of communication with Turkey, without this implying any change in Greek positions, while stressing that today the country has a strong international footprint and important geopolitical alliances, which allow it to act both proactively and deterrently.
At the same time, he clarified that the rapprochement with Ankara does not imply abandoning positions or making concessions.
Referring to the talks with Fidan, he noted that the Turkish side continues to maintain its firm positions on the issues of maritime zones and Greek-Turkish relations in general.
“I am not so naive as to believe that these positions will change overnight,” he said, essentially describing the context in which the Greek-Turkish dialogue is taking place.
According to him, the goal is not to reach a direct convergence on fundamental disagreements but to find a workable way of coexistence, which will limit tensions and allow for the maintenance of stability in the region.
As positive results of this policy, he pointed to the significant reduction of violations, the reduction of migratory flows to the East Aegean islands and the increase in visits of Turkish citizens to the Greek islands.
At the same time, he stressed that international law is uniform and cannot be applied selectively, leaving a clear edge against the fixed Turkish positions.
Warning about populism
Asked about “the discussion about elections in Greece and Turkey” and their impact on national issues, the foreign minister first replied that elections will be held in Greece in one year and in Turkey in two years. He said, however, that instrumentalizing foreign policy issues in the context of election debates could prove dangerous, noting that oversimplifying complex geopolitical issues does not help national strategy.
“Populism in the economy is detrimental to the country. Populism on national issues is destructive,” he said.
Libya returns to the spotlight
The second most important chapter of Gerapetritis’ statement was on Libya and Athens’ effort to restore relations that had essentially broken down after the 2019 Turko-Libyan memorandum.
The Foreign Minister described Libya as one of the major open “wounds” of Greek foreign policy in previous years and noted that our country had systematically invested in restoring contacts with both the Tripoli government and the Benghazi side.
He attached particular importance to the fact that Greece is now holding high-level talks with both sides of the Libyan crisis, something he said other countries have not managed to do.
In this context, he also included the visit of the Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexandra Papadopoulou, to Tripoli for talks on the demarcation of maritime zones.
Mr. Gerapetritis described the process as particularly important for Greece, stressing that the Mediterranean is becoming increasingly important in geopolitical and energy terms.
At the same time, he appeared cautiously optimistic about the course of the talks, saying that there is a possibility of finding common ground.
He reiterated, however, that the memorandum of understanding between the two countries remains, according to the Greek position, unsubstantiated and without legal force in the light of international law.
Africa’s “bomb”
On the occasion of the increased migratory flows from Libya to Crete, the Foreign Minister described in dramatic terms the situation in sub-Saharan Africa and particularly in Sudan.
He spoke of the biggest humanitarian crisis in recent decades, stressing that tens of millions of people have been displaced or are on the verge of survival.
He said there are about 500,000 Sudanese in Libya alone, while about 1.5 million are in Egypt.
According to him, the international community must address the root causes of migration, otherwise the pressure on Europe will continue.
He acknowledged that there is an increase in migratory flows from Libya, but clarified that they are currently not taking on alarming proportions.
He said Athens is in constant consultation with both Tripoli and Benghazi, and is working with local authorities to strengthen patrols and surveillance means.
Message to Ukraine
Referring to the Ukrainian maritime drone spotted in Lefkada, Gerapetritis described it as an “extremely serious incident”, which could pose risks to security in the Mediterranean and to the economic activity of the islands.
He revealed that he had personally contacted his Ukrainian counterpart and conveyed Greek concerns.
At the same time, he noted that Greece will not accept any extension of the war in the Mediterranean and pointed out that other coastal states in the region are seeking the same.
At the same time, he defended Athens’ long-standing support for Kiev, stressing that it is a principled stand against any form of revisionism and violation of international law.
Response to scenarios of political instability
In the domestic political arena, the Foreign Minister rejected the assessment that the government is in a state of disarray.
He admitted that there is discontent and distrust in society, arguing, however, that this is to be expected after a period in which the country has faced successive crises, from the pandemic to the energy crisis.
The Foreign Minister said that the government is in a state of disarray. Gerapetritis acknowledged that not all of the government’s goals have been achieved, but stressed that significant steps have been taken in areas such as digital transformation and the country’s international upgrade.
He concluded by placing particular emphasis on Greece’s international footprint, noting that the strengthening of the country’s international position is an important legacy of the last seven years and warning of the dangers that – he said – could arise from choices without strategic planning in foreign policy.
