The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) exchange views with Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs on the latest develepments and common measures to take on the Greek-Turkish dispute in the Aegean sea region.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

EU - Greece (T)

EU - Türkiye (T)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

ANDROULAKIS, Nikos (S&D, EL)

LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Antonio (EPP, ES)

LOISEAU, Nathalie (Renew, FR)

VARVITSIOTIS, Miltiadis (EL)

EU - Greece: extracts from the exchange of views with Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs

SOUNDBITE (English), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Turkey so far has disregarded their repeated appeals by EU and others to refrain from this highly counterproductive stance and to contribute to climate conduct for a conducive dialogue. Given this situation, my country had also to deploy our own fleet, and it's only thanks to our self-restrained that the situation has not involved in a military confrontation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Greece is ready to resolve its dispute with Turkey regarding the elimination of the maritime areas in the Aegean and in Eastern Mediterranean, through dialogue and if dialogue fails through the joint motion to the International Court of Justice in Hague. We don't want to solve this problem by using any firearms. But this dialogue cannot be performed under military pressure and threats.

SOUNDBITE (English), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, EU should urgently assume its role in the region. What is at stake is European sovereignty and EU strategic autonomy. The escalation must come immediately and it must come from those who are causing tension. All of the Turkish vessels, both military and survey vessels, must withdraw immediately. Given that their presence constitutes a violation of sovereign rights that must cease at once.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Antonio L&Oacute;PEZ-IST&Uacute;RIZ WHITE (EPP, ES), We know what's going on in the eastern Mediterranean. It's not a contradiction of legitimate positions. It's not a dispute of long, though science. There is a clear provocation. It's a clear threat. 

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Antonio L&Oacute;PEZ-IST&Uacute;RIZ WHITE (EPP, ES), Minister, to come to my question. Do you not believe that the time is ripe now for sanctions to be agreed upon, which is the only language that the regime will understand?

SOUNDBITE (Greek) Nikos ANDROULAKIS (S&amp;D, GR), The sanctions which are being proposed might not help the difficult situation we are in today. It might actually do him a favour because when the discussions were held about Syria, we, the European Council, spoke about an embargo of weapons. Why can't we, therefore, do the same today when it is actually violating the territorial waters of a European country?

SOUNDBITE (French) Nathalie LOISEAU (RE, FR), We do not negotiate on the knee. We don't negotiate when we are provoked. Europe cannot negotiate alone. I'm very happy that the MED7 countries are willing to engage, but this cannot be something that concerns only seven member states. This Mediterranean Sea is a common sea and we should share join in this common cause with Greece.