In a few days you go to Moscow for the Interministerial Meeting between the two countries. What is it that you aspire to accomplish, Minister? Greece is a peace loving country which systematically carries out multidimensional foreign policy based on respect and equity between States. Russia is a country with which we have traditionally had friendly relations and common historical and cultural traditions. Moreover, we are celebrating, this year, 190 years of diplomatic relations. At the Interministerial Meeting, we shall conclude agreements on economic and institutional co-operation between the two countries, and we will seek further ways to expand cooperation in the fields of trade and investment.Will Alexis Tsipras’ visit and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin perhaps mark the normalisation of relations between the two countries? Under what conditions? We had a fleeting dark cloud in our traditionally good relations. Our response then was not due to differences in matters of foreign policy, but for reasons relating to the sovereignty of our country and compliance with diplomatic rules. After all, short reckonings make long friends. But these are things that belong in the past. Now, the two leaders will have a substantive discussion on the steps for further improving relations between the two states, especially on the level of bilateral economic relations and contacts between the two peoples. We are thinking of making the year 2019 the year of Culture between Greece and Russia.Recently, it seems that, in Turkey, a bidding war of nationalism has been launched. In fact, a party leader went as far as declaring that Cyprus is Turkish. Does this worry you? Nationalism has always had a strong voice in the neighbouring country. It is important that we do not follow down that slippery slope, not only on the level of government policy, where sobriety and stability are a given, but on all levels. Extremism and intolerance have a multiplier effect on feeding extreme views and poison our societies. Our country has a solid foreign policy based on respect for international law and, for this reason, we have no interest in stepping up a loudmouth rhetoric. Obviously, this does not mean feebleness. We continuously reject every revisionist attempt and creation of faits accomplis, and insist on settlement of disputes through dialogue.If drilling in Cyprus is hindered, Minister, what will Athens do? As regards relations between states, law does not suffice to defend oneself if one is not equipped with might. “Injustice armed is at its harshest” states Aristotle in his Politics. For this reason, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Cyprus have developed a systematic and coordinated diplomatic effort to support national interests. This has yielded multiple fruits: First of all on a European level, where the European Council has condemned the systematic violations of international law by the Turkish side and has called upon Turkey to respect International Law. A simple comparison of this declaration with the one following the incident at Imia, shows the great progress of our diplomacy in this field. Equally important is the multilateral diplomacy that we have developed, together with Cyprus, through trilateral schemes of strategic cooperation in the region, primarily with Egypt and Israel. We need not concern ourselves, therefore, with Turkish provocativeness. We are coordinating our steps with Cyprus so that the sovereign rights of the latter are not threatened in the slightest way.With the start of the year, new negotiations may potentially begin on the Cyprus issue. With what positions is Greece going to come to the table? The main point for us is, once again, for the Cyprus issue to be framed as an issue of respecting international law and UN resolutions. In this light, we place particular emphasis on safeguarding the acquis of Crans-Montana, in other words in the necessary elimination of the unacceptable system of guarantees and ending the presence of foreign troops on the island. It goes without saying that the Republic of Cyprus has otherwise the last word with regard to the domestic aspects of the problem.What does the announced visit of Alexis Τsipras to Ankara aspire to accomplish? What results can be achieved? We want to relieve tension, to keep open the channels of communication which had been restored during Erdogan’s visit to Athens, and to promote, to the extent possible, depending on the willingness and the responsiveness of the other side, bilateral dialogue.The constitutional revision in fYROM is proceeding smoothly? Do concerns exist in Athens? A very positive framework of communication and cooperation with the other side has been restored, within which we monitor developments. I have no doubt that our neighbours, as we do also, respect the letter and spirit of the Prespa agreement, and that this will be faithfully reflected and implemented in the constitutional revision under way.Leaders of opposition parties, such as the head of Potami, feel that once the agreement has been approved by Skopje, it will not come for ratification to the present Hellenic Parliament. Others note that the agreement will not muster the required majority. I'd like your comment on that.From the beginning, I have stated that I do not have the slightest doubt with regard to the ratification of the Agreement.Does Athens, Minister, support the establishment of a real EU army? And is it felt that something like this can happen? It is important for Europe to strengthen its autonomy in defence; to be able to effectively protect its citizens and its borders. The [EU] Treaty now includes a provision, article 42 par. 7, similar to that of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which creates the necessary legal basis for something similar. All that remains now is the political will for European Sovereignty to acquire a meaning, in the sense that I mentioned above, in other words the joint guarantee of the territory of the member states as territory of the Union.On 13 December, you will meet with your US counterpart for the strategic dialogue between the United States and Greece. What exactly will you agree upon? What is the agenda? Upgrading talks with the United States to the level of a strategic dialogue reflects the emergence of our country as an element of stability and promotion of solutions in the region as well as the significant progress of our bilateral relations. The recent Thessaloniki trade fair, where the United States was the country honoured, was an unprecedented success and gave a significant boost to bilateral economic relations. Strategic dialogue covers both areas above: On the one hand, the increasingly important role of our country as a provider of security in an especially troubled region. On the other hand, promotion of mutual economic interests, both with regard to welcoming American investments as well as with regard to developing Greece as a gateway of economic synergies in the wider region of the Balkans.With the EEZ in the Ionian Sea, what will you do? As has already been announced by the Prime Minister, after informing the other parties, and following substantive public debate, we will proceed, through a law, to extend our territorial waters in the Ionian Sea, which is our inalienable sovereign right enshrined in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.I would also like a comment from you about Nikos Kotzias and his term at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... I believe, and I don’t think that I am alone in this, that he was one of the best Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the post Junta period, with a clear strategic outlook and exceptional negotiating skills. He left his mark on the Prespa Agreement, as well as, despite the unfortunate outcome of the negotiations, on the Cyprus issue, solidly defending national priorities, within the framework of international law.
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