Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, in an interview earlier on Monday to the radio station “Parapolitika”, referred to “obvious benefits” from the “more permanent and stronger presence of US forces in Greece”.
Varvitsiotis underlined the deepening of the US presence in crucial areas of Greece, such as the port of Alexandroupolis as “something which sends a very strong message regarding the protection of the Greek-Turkish borders”.
He also added that “we are heading toward an extension of the partnership agreement with the USA for another five years, instead of on an annual basis, as was the case until now”.
Asked about recent statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Varvitsiotis said they reflected Turkey’s annoyance over the Greek-French partnership agreement and Greece’s decisive steps in terms of arming itself with military equipment.
Finally, he said that “we will do whatever is possible to avoid tension but we will not retreat regarding our sovereign rights”.
SOURCE: AMNA
