Lavrov: Russia appreciates Greece’s position on Western sanctions

Moscow appreciates NATO member Greece’s position regarding the West’s decision to impose retaliatory sanctions following the annexation of Crimea, visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.

“As regards our relations with NATO, we appreciate Greece’s disagreement with the policy of sanctions and its wish for further dialogue on the Ukrainian crisis,” Lavrov said in a statement after meeting with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias.

Athens is keen to maintain close ties with Moscow, despite its participation in European Union sanctions against Moscow.

Lavrov acknowledged the close cooperation between the two countries and predicted that the number of Russians picking Greece as a tourism destination will continue to grow over the coming years.

Earlier Wednesday Lavrov met with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, as part of a friendship initiative between the two Orthodox Christian nations that included multiple cultural exchanges and a visit to Greece in May by Russian President Vladimir Putin.