Foreign Minister N. Kotzias' statement following the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs (Brussels, 31 March 2017)

N. KOTZIAS:  Today we had the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and we discussed stability and security issues in Europe and the immediate region. For our part, we talked about the need for stability structures to be created in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the Middle East. In our interventions, we talked about the instability that exists, particularly in the Western Balkans, and I stressed that all sides have to be taught what I call a culture of compromise and consensus. We also talked about the Ukraine problem, and for the first time we had the new U.S. Secretary of State present here at NATO.

JOURNALIST: Do you have any comment on the Hellenic Aid funding that was recovered?

N. KOTZIAS: We are on a course for recovering funds. We have located some €14 million. Yesterday and today we took back small sums. I think the Foreign Ministry is showing that it is, in many aspects, a productive Ministry that fights back against corruption and any attempt to waste public money.