The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected, said a US State Department representative in relation to the recent incident that occurred near the island of Farmakonissi, where a Greek coast guard vessel was harassed by a Turkish offshore vessel, it was reported late on Tuesday.
Responding to a reporter’s question about the need for Turkey to respect the territorial waters of the islands located in the eastern Aegean, a representative of the US State Department reiterated the consistent US position which calls on all parties to refrain from actions that risk escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As was pointed out, “there is no change in the long-term position of the US. We believe that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected and protected. As a matter of principle, we encourage all states to resolve maritime delimitation issues peacefully in accordance with International Law. While the United States generally does not take sides on other states’ maritime border disputes, we call on all parties to refrain from any actions that risk escalating tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. We continue to encourage our allies and partners to work together to maintain peace and security in the region, and to resolve disputes diplomatically. We urge all our allies to avoid threats and provocative rhetoric that will only increase tension and help no one.”
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
