Tassos Hadjivassiliou made it clear that Greece remains a pillar of security and will not allow actions that endanger regional peace.
The absolute readiness and the firm position of the country against any challenge in the Eastern Mediterranean region was underlined by Serres MP and Secretary of International Relations and EU of the New Democracy, Tassos Hadjivassiliou.
On the occasion of the recent sighting of a sea drone on the coast of Lefkada, Mr. Hatzivassiliou stressed that Greece will not accept war scenarios, acts of war or any other dangerous action that could disrupt security in its territorial waters and the wider region.
Speaking to SKAI on Wednesday morning, he said this was a serious incident and referred to statements by both the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, and Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, adding that Greece has clarified its position and has asked for explanations and is awaiting official information on what exactly happened.
The former deputy foreign minister also noted that “once our country has a full picture and official explanations, we will take all necessary actions, including even relevant representations.” At the same time, he recalled that in similar incidents on the high seas, which were theoretically attributed to Ukraine, no responsibility was ever taken by Kiev.
Referring to Turkey, Mr. Hatzivassiliou noted that it is attempting to legitimize with internal legislation its holy positions and is reacting to the legitimate Greek actions of the last period to defend our maritime interests, from marine spatial planning and marine parks to the presence of Chevron south of Crete.
The MEP made it clear that the domestic legislation of a country is addressed exclusively to its domestic audience and domestic legal order and does not produce international legal effects, in particular where it is wholly incompatible with international law. He stressed that if Turkey ever in the future decides to move in the field on the basis of this logic, Greece will, as it always does, give the appropriate response. He added that the declaration of an EEZ is made following agreements between neighbouring countries, so any possible unilateral decision is not recognised by the international legal framework.
In conclusion, Mr. Hatzivassiliou noted that Turkey is trying to feed its domestic audience with the narrative of encirclement, when in fact it has been isolated by its own choices. As he said, the trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel is producing results, while yesterday’s trilateral meeting in Cyprus on the Greek cable, Cyprus and Israel, with the support of the European Investment Bank, proves that the project is gaining new momentum and that Europe considers it a top priority.
