Greece has made respect for International Law of the Sea, the “bible” of its foreign policy priorities, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday in a video-recorded message at the International Conference “EU Policies Towards the East Mediterranean: Energy and Security.”
“If all countries were to adhere to these principles, everyone would benefit,” he added.
A few days ago, Israel and Lebanon, two countries that do not recognize each other, signed a maritime delimitation agreement, he said and added: This will pave the way for the exploitation of gas resources.
“We salute the courage and the vision of Israel and Lebanon. And we hope that other countries in the region will seize the opportunity and follow their example. This is the path to peace, stability and prosperity, Dendias said.
“Unfortunately, this is not the path followed by all. A few weeks ago, the government in Tripoli signed with Turkey, a ‘memorandum’ on the exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean. This so-called memorandum is based on a previous ‘memorandum’ that defied not only basic International Law, but also fundamental principles of geography,” the Greek foreign minister noted.
Dendias underlined: “We were happy to see that many states have come out to denounce it immediately.”
On energy, he said that energy security and energy efficiency have become the buzz words of today’s world. “In this context, the Eastern Mediterranean and Greece’s strategic location are seen under a new light,” he said adding that Greece actively contributes to the EU’s energy autonomy by promoting diversification of supply routes.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
