Europe begins in Thrace, Dendias says
“Europe begins in Thrace, an area governed by the rule of law, democracy, solidarity and the protection of human rights,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday.
Speaking in Alexandroupoli, where he was conferred with the freedom of the city, Dendias said that “our country, our society, its political parties and Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government have no intention of making these fundamental principles a matter for negotiation.”
He referred to the incidents at the Greek-Turkish border along the Evros River in March 2020 as a “hybrid threat.”
“A new hybrid threat against Greece, against Europe – and I’m referring to the migration crisis as an instrument to destabilize Greece and Europe – ended up highlighting Evros, Alexandropouli and the Thrace region as a model of European solidarity and unity and an example of resistance to the new generation of hybrid threats, which have also been seen in other European countries.”
On Thursday, Dendias hosted an evening dinner for the four Christian Orthodox metropolitans and the three Muslim muftis of Thrace, in Alexandroupoli.
The gathering marked the first occasion that a foreign minister met with both local Christian and Muslim religious leaders together.
The event, which took place on the eve of International Human Rights Day, sought to send the message that Christians and Muslims live together peacefully in Thrace. [AMNA]
