Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis meets with the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Syllouris (Athens, 4 March 2020)

In their meeting today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, and the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Syllouris, sent a clear message of unity and solidarity between the Greek and Cypriot sides against the asymmetrical threat Greece has been facing on its borders in recent days.

Mr. Varvitsiotis briefed Mr. Syllouris on the latest developments in the migration issue and provided an in-depth analysis of the situation taking shape on Greece’s borders as a result of the tactics being employed by the Turkish side in the framework of its policy for exploiting the issue. In fact, he pointed to “a foreign policy of extortion” that the Turkish President is implementing in order to reverse the unfavourable political and economic situation he is facing in his country. The Alternate Minister also stressed that, through their presence yesterday in Evros, the leaders of the European Union sent a ringing message of support for Greece, which is protecting not only its own borders, but also those of Europe.

Mr. Syllouris, who is carrying out a two-day visit to Athens, referred to the close ties between the two countries and conveyed to Mr. Varvitsiotis the Cypriot side’s undivided support and solidarity in Greece’s endeavour to defend Europe’s borders.

The talks also focused on Turkey’s violations of international legality in the Eastern Mediterranean and issues of regional cooperation, particularly in the context of Greece and Cyprus’s multilateral cooperation mechanisms with Egypt and Israel.