The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) exchange views with Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs of Greece, in the European Parliament in Brussels

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

EU - Greece (T)

EU - Türkiye (T)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

VARVITSIOTIS, Miltiadis (EL)

special meeting of the European Council 24-25 September 2020 (T)

Exchange of views with Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs of Greece: Opening speeches by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE) chair, and Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, we will now continue with item number five of today's AFET meeting. It's a pleasure for me to welcome Mr. Miltiadis Varvitiotis the Alternate minister of foreign affairs, the European affairs of Greece to our committee today. Kalimara.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, Our meeting takes place against the backdrop of an increasingly tense situation that eastern Mediterranean caused by Turkey's illegal gas exploration activities. We all have witnessed an alarming military build-up in the area during the past few weeks.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, And many of us are very, very concerned by the real risk of a direct military confrontation. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with the Greek foreign Minister Nikos Dendas and other EU foreign ministers at the informal meeting two weeks ago in Berlin.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, And this is where the idea of today's exchange of views originated. The European Parliament has followed the situation in the eastern Mediterranean very closely. The conference of presidents will decide this morning whether a debate and a resolution on this topic will be put on the agenda of next week's plenary session.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, And colleagues, you will also have the opportunity to discuss these issues with the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Mevlut Cavasoglu this afternoon, late afternoon.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, Minister, the position of this committee is clear, de-escalate is urgently needed. We support the council's clear position of solidarity with our member states, Greece and Cyprus. The European Union must be united on this issue.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, This conflict can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiations, concrete steps forward, creating an environment conducive to dialogue and good faith are needed now. So, Minister, we would like to hear your perspective on the conflict.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, How does the Greek government see the latest developments? What role could the European Union play and what are your expectations for the upcoming extraordinary European Council on the 24th and 25th of September?

SOUNDBITE (Original), David McALLISTER, AFET Chair, Minister, the floor is yours for then to 50 minutes. It's up to you. And then we will have an exchange of views with colleagues. And let me not only welcome all the members of afet here in the room and also our colleagues in front of the video screens. But since this session is being web streamed. Let me also welcome all those.

Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, To tackle the issue for the refugee camp of Moria, which is something that they heated there. The headline news lately and I know that camp. We have 13000 people who have been sheltered and we tried to shelter them immediately.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, We try also to bring back their security and safety sentiment to the inhabitants of the island and also to prevent any implication for from the few coffee carefully identified the refugees that coffee possible positive people that are mingled with all the others.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, So, A, it's a very complicated task. A great part of the government is already on the island trying to find solutions. And we have been receiving a great wave of solidarity from EU member And states. we would like to thank governments and NGOs and political personalities from all over the world the coming in to giving a helping hand.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Well, I would like to start by saying that I would like to thank you and thank your chairman for the opportunity that you're opening today to brief you Turkey's illegal acts and provocations escalating, leading to the inhuman instrument that lazy nation of migrants or refugees last March at the border line of [,?], where they openly encourage these people to cross into EU territory.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, These attempt was prevented by Greek and EU forces. And I would like to pay a tribute also to the president of Not only Greece, but also Cyprus. Sometimes we get forgetting that Turkey is constantly violating the sovereign rights of Cyprus because we have already being a from. From this attitude, these aggression was also directed to anyone challenging, provocative actions and behaviour.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Let me remind you what happened last June against the French military vessel operating in the framework July actually July 21st. Turkey has issued six, six, if not Turks, reserving areas within the Greek continental shelf.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Even though we engaged in an informal dialogue under German, its good auspices, Turkey decided to withdraw using as a pretext they maritime zones the elimination agreement that Greece signed with Egypt after fifteen years of negotiation as a response.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, It dispatched the said vessels or ordered days escorted by and no more than a dozen military sweeps in the area., Turkey so far has disregarded their repeated appeals by EU and others to refrain from this highly counterproductive stance and to some accidents.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Furthermore, Turkey at the highest level is sufficiently threatening to go to war. Against Greece in case the later exercise. It's legitimate rights. Moreover, it systematically poisoning its own conflict. The effects of these rethoric in terms of their views and stereotype it creates will be very difficult to reverse.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, At the same time, Turkey is spreading fake news that Greece refused a dialogue, insisting its maximalist claims as as they say it, which is actually not not very, very accurate since the country that actually occupies half of the agency, including half of the Greek islands.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, The Turkish government is constantly using and insulting rhetoric directed both to my prime minister and other EU leaders and tries to cultivate nationalistic, populistic and Islamic front. And we should never forget that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, To that end, it has also turned the use of Yei or World-Herald and Omarska protected the site into a mosque, setting an example of disregard of our values and principles. As a mention, Turkey insist that its stance derives from what it calls our country maximalist claims.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, What went out of these claims in terms of Greece, Greece? Gasp, just sign to agreement. Eliminating maritime zones with Italy and Egypt, showing its willingness to find the best possible mutually acceptable solutions with their neighbours.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, And it constantly states, as I'm doing today in every direction, that we are ready to conclude similar agreements with other all the rest of our neighbours. Greece is ready to resolve its dispute with Turkey regarding the elimination of the maritime areas in the agean in eastern Mediterranean through dialogue.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, And if dialogue fails through through the joint, the joint move to the International Court of Justice in Hague. We don't want to solve this problem by using any firearms, but this this dialogue cannot be performed under military pressure and threats. Ladies and gentlemen, I know that you are going to cause Mr. Cavutsglu hopefully this afternoon.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, And I would like to tell you how we see Turk, because we believe that Turkey is acting more and more as a revisionist power lately. Turkey makes use of military force without any hesitation as a tool to impose its foreign policy goals.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, It has proven this in recent years with multiple military operations and occupations of territories in Syria. And Iraq, while its military forces are also operating in Libya regardless of Berlin conference decisions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, We must also not forget the presence of 30000 Turkish troops in Cyprus, but also in a number, the number of other countries like Qatar and Somalia. Moreover, in the context of the new thematic agenda, the Turkish president, Turkey is involved in a number of international conflicts, such as in the Gulf, in the Caucasus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Lately, it seeks to play a role in Lebanon. It supports Hamas as part wider agenda, which includes working with extremist groups in Syria arms and sent Syrian mercenaries to fight in Libya. It welcomes members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, And Turkey was among the first to congratulate President Lukashenko on the occasion of his recent re-election. While it maintains close ties with Maduro, with the regime of Madeira in Venezuela, it is therefore obvious that their geopolitical objectives of Turkey are no longer limited to their Greek-Turkish relationship.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, Or simply in the eastern Mediterranean region. They demonstrate that Turkey is a major this analyzing factor in the wider area. This should be an issue of concern for the EU and the international community.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, The eastern Mediterranean is our vital geostrategic importance. It has a viable geostrategic importance for the EU for several aspects not only economy, but security. Energy. Migration. Transport. Tourism to name a few.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Miltiadis VARVITSIOTIS, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, EU should urgently assume its role in the region. What is at stake is European sovereignty, a huge strategic, outdone army. The escalation must come immediately and it must come from And we want But if Turkey decides to continue its present course, there can be no alternative Ankara in the hope that we may look at the future of working together in bins and partnership. Thank you, Chairman.