Dozens more Dead Sea Scroll fragments discovered in a cave

Israeli archaeologists say the nearly 2,000-year-old pieces of parchment bear biblical text written in Greek.

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Interview of Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on Thema 104.6 FM, with journalist Ilias Siakantaris (14 March 2021)

“Turkey wants to play on à-la-carte terms. But this is not acceptable to the EU or the U.S.,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed in his interview with Proto Thema radio’s Ilias Siakantaris. “If Turkey wants a better relationship with the EU and in the context of NATO, it has to stop its provocative actions,” he pointed out. Regarding the 62nd round of exploratory talks, he underscored that Greece wants there to be a channel for dialogue with Turkey. Regarding EU-Turkey relations, he noted that Turkey is the first item on the agenda for the EU General Affairs Council and the European Council meeting of 25 and 26 March. “This,” he said, “makes Greece a central player in this framework of decisions that concern the whole of Europe.” Finally, referring to the upsurge in violence in recent days, as well as the demonstrations taking place in the midst of the pandemic, he underscored that “some people are investing in creating a political circus and a mindset of fear. They will not succeed! The political forces must stand united against violence and attempts to create tensions.” In this regard, he recalled the Prime Minister’s statement that we are at war with the pandemic, praising the contribution of the medical and health professionals who are doing daily battle to save the lives of our fellow human beings.

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Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Migration and Asylum attend the Joint EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Ministers for Home Affairs Council (Jumbo Council)

The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, along with the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi, participated via teleconference today in the Jumbo Council of EU Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Ministers for Home Affairs, whose subject was the external dimension of the European Union’s migration policy, as this will be provided for in the new Migration and Asylum Pact. Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Varvitsiotis stressed the importance of greater cooperation on the European level to shape a functional return system. He also suggested for the EU to capitalise on the tools it has in order to draw up functional readmission agreements with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mr. Varvitsiotis also pointed out that the external dimension of migration is an issue on which we must collaborate in the EU in order to create a functional return system. So as to facilitate returns, he said, we need to use our capabilities in relation to third countries, especially with regard to European funding, underscoring that funding needs to be linked to performance in the migration sector. The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs also welcomed the Portuguese presidency’s initiative in emphasising the countries of Africa. Finally, he referred to Afghanistan and Pakistan, noting that these are countries that are of interest to us, especially with regard to the Eastern Mediterranean route. He expressed the view that more can be done. Regarding Afghanistan, the implementation of a new joint migration-cooperation statement agreed between the EU and Afghanistan, as well as the full implementation of the readmission agreement with Pakistan, must be conditions for a future dialogue on migration. The Minister of Migration and Asylum stressed that Turkey is a safe third country, not just for those coming from Syria, but for all refugees. For this reason, he said, strict implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Statement must be the only functional tool for better cooperation with Turkey, so that we can avoid recurrence of the conditions that led to the crisis in Evros a year ago. “A cooperation that must directly link recompense with the correct implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Statement,” he concluded. Mr. Mitarachi underscored the extreme importance of the EU-Turkey cooperation in the sector of managing migration flows on the Eastern Mediterranean route. He then stated that, for Greece and Europe, the key is Turkey honouring its commitments deriving from the EU-Turkey Joint Statement. At this point, Mr. Mitarachi mentioned that Greece is still awaiting Turkey’s response to a request to return 1,453 migrants.

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Parthenon Marbles: International support for their reunification

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni responded with a statement that the British PM "has not been informed about the new historical data of the Ottoman era"

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Four majestic beaches on mainland Greece (photos)

It is not only the islands that have beaches of exquisite beauty

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The Crushing Environmental Burden of Greek Tourism

Tourism is the heavy industry of Greece. It annually earns a fourth of the country’s income. The pestilence year 2020, however, was bad for Greek tourism. In 2020, some 70 percent fewer tourists ...

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The Greek Pioneers Who Dug the Suez Canal

This story The Greek Pioneers Who Dug the Suez Canal appeared first on GreekReporter.com. Greece has been connected to the Suez Canal since it was first envisioned as a pie-in-the-sky project in the mid-nineteenth century. This story The Greek Pioneers Who Dug the Suez Canal appeared first on GreekReporter.com.

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