The Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, present in Bucharest on Wednesday, said that Russia's actions violate international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements, constituting expressions of revisionism that endanger security and global stability.
"My visit comes two days after the Russian Federation unilaterally recognized the so-called independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics. Unfortunately, Russia also sent troops to Ukraine. These are actions that obviously violate international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements. These are expressions of revisionism that threaten global security and stability. I would like to reiterate that a fundamental principle of Greece's foreign policy is respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of all states. We condemn without appeal the actions that contravene these values. As an EU and NATO member state, we are coordinating our efforts with our partners so that our response is common and substantial," Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a press statement at Victoria Palace, Agerpres.ro informs.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis added that his country has "one more reason to be anxiously watching" what is happening in eastern Ukraine, where there is also a Greek community.
"Our main concern is to support the Greeks in Ukraine and that is why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is constantly in touch with them. The latest developments, of course, raise security and border challenge issues. (...) We in Europe know very well that violence and instability have never helped anyone," he said.
The Greek prime minister said that his country has taken all necessary measures to ensure that the natural gas supply is carried out safely and continuously. According to him, three conclusions emerge from the current crisis: the importance of green energy, the support of vulnerable consumers and the discussions on the strategic-military autonomy of Europe.
"The transition to the green economy must not be delayed, so that we can help the poorest families to have access to green energy. The energy of the future is green energy, and it is our duty not only to diversify our energy sources, but also to reduce our dependence on natural gas in Russia. Romania has a privileged situation, because it produces natural gas and could extract more gas. In the short term, it is very important at European level to have measures in place to support European consumers. (...) Each country has its own way of dealing with this problem, but it is a European problem - common ways must also be found. I will also present this issue to the European Council. The third conclusion is all this discussion that is taking place at EU level on Europe's strategic-military autonomy. It is a topic that is becoming more and more urgent," said the Greek prime minister.