Defense Minister meets Turkish counterpart

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has underlined the importance of maintaining open communication and holding meetings with his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers Summit in Brussels.

“The importance was underlined of maintaining open channels of communication, meetings between the two sides, and the need to create a climate of stability in the region on the basis of international law and good neighborly conduct,” a Greek Defense Ministry statement said.

Government sources said the meeting between the two ministers lasted 40 minutes and took place in a positive atmosphere.

The same sources said that Panagiotopoulos explained that the tension between the two countries cannot be deescalated as long as the Turkish side continues to engage in aggressive rhetoric and threats that go as far as questioning Greek sovereignty.

The ministers, the sources continued, agreed to keep the communication channels open between the two sides.

Earlier, both ministers met separately with US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin. [AMNA]