Mitsotakis tells German FM Turkish provocations ‘cannot be tolerated’

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at Maximos Manion on Friday with talks focusing on bilateral, regional and international issues including energy, the war in Ukraine, migration and Turkey’s provocations.

Mitsotakis presented Greece’s positions on dealing with the energy crisis and his proposal, presented recently to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for the creation of a voluntary mechanism through which industrial consumers would be compensated for the reduction in the use of gas and electricity. Moreover, he outlined the steps taken by his conservative government to turn Greece into a gateway for the transfer of energy to the EU.

Mitsotakis also briefed the German foreign minister about the latest developments in Greek-Turkish relations. He reiterated Greece’s firm position that channels of communication with Turkey should remain open provided that both sides show respect for international law and good neighborly relations. Mitsotakis stressed that Turkey’s provocations and actions that challenge Greek sovereignty are a threat to regional stability and cannot be tolerated – also by the EU.

Turning to migration, the prime minister reiterated that Greece guards its borders, which are also the EU’s external border, in line with international law and human rights principles. [AMNA]