A country leaving the European Union cannot have the same or greater rights than countries of the EU, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos stated following his meeting with Lord Callanan, the UK Minister of State for Exiting the European Union.We do not want this negotiation process to be punitive, Mr. Katrougalos added. Unfortunately, we have experience of asymmetrical negotiations.The full text of the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs’ statement is as follows:“We talked about the United Kingdom’s new proposals. We welcome the White Book, the package of proposals submitted by the United Kingdom, and we believe it is very useful for us to be able to negotiate in unity, as 27 member states, towards our common goal: to find a viable solution for Brexit. What neither side wants is for there to be no agreement: a ‘no deal’ Brexit. We must avoid this at all costs.At tomorrow’s meeting of the General Affairs Council, I will have the opportunity to set out Greece’s longstanding positions: that we want the UK to remain a strategic partner of the EU. The UK is leaving the EU. It isn’t leaving Europe. This means that, in sectors such as security, justice and external threats, we should continue to have a special relationship. We do not want this negotiation process to be punitive. Unfortunately, we have experience of asymmetrical negotiations.On the other hand, it is obvious that a country that is leaving the European Union cannot have the same or greater rights than EU countries. The UK is a traditional friend of Greece, and we want to safeguard this relationship in the future. As in the past, our states and peoples will continue to be strategic partners.”
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