Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias briefed a visiting delegation of members of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee in Athens on Thursday.
Dendias briefed the Chair of the Committee, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, as well as other committee members, of Greece’s positions, which are centered in International Law and in particular the Law of the Sea, said Greek diplomatic sources.
He also referred to the excellent level of Greece-US relations, and he mentioned the significance of the Protocols of Amendment to the US-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA).
The port of Alexandroupolis was another key point Dendias mentioned, which he said is important as both an energy hub at a critical conjuncture, and also critical for the security and defense of NATO allies.
The minister then talked about the 3+1 regional alliance scheme (Greece, Cyprus, Israel plus the US), and he said Greece wishes it to be expanded and be transformed to a multilateral cooperation scheme.
Dendias thanked the committee members for the stance taken by the US Congress via the relevant legislation, referring as an example to the East Med Act 2019.
Greece’s support to Ukraine was also mentioned, as was its support to both Sweden and Finland’s potential NATO accession.
Diplomatic sources added that Dendias also briefed the committee on Turkey’s provocative and illegal actions, the questioning of Greek sovereignty and sovereign rights, as well as the threat of war.
In this context, he also presented relevant maps, which illustrate the illegal Turkish unilateral claims.
He emphasized that Greece’s positions are based on respect for International Law and especially the International Law of the Sea, and that Greece is willing to resolve this single dispute with Turkey, the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, always on the basis of the International Law of the Sea.
He referred to the bilateral agreements with Italy and Egypt, as well as the political agreement to refer the issue to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
It was noted by Greek diplomatic sources that the American side underlined that it treats Greece as a real friend and partner and showed understanding for Greece’s positions.
US Ambassador to Greece George Tsunis also attended this meeting.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
