“Greece and the United Kingdom are working together to create very strong relations following Brexit and to shape the future strategic partnership between the two states,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed following his meeting with the UK Under-Secretary of State, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton, who is visiting our country. The talks focused on the reopening of tourism, the Cyprus issue, cooperation on the migration issue, and security issues in the Eastern Mediterranean. Mr. Varvitsiotis also raised the issue of the Parthenon Marbles.
More specifically, regarding the rights of Greek citizens in the United Kingdom and British citizens in Greece, in implementation of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the Alternate Minister stated that the goal is not to disturb the daily lives of citizens living in the two countries. “It is important for us to work together to maintain a high level of bilateral relations and to manage all the issues of mutual interest,” he added.
In the same context, Mr. Varvitsiotis said that Greece is ready to welcome again the millions of British tourists who want to visit Greece on holiday, expressing the hope that this will happen after 14 May, when tourism is opening in Greece.
With regard to the Cyprus issue, the Alternate Minister noted that it is important for Greece and the United Kingdom, as guarantor powers, to exchange ideas ahead of the five-partite talks in April.
Mr. Varvitsiotis also raised an issue that, as he said, every Greek politician has a duty to raise: the Parthenon Marbles. More specifically, he underscored that the Parthenon Marbles must be repatriated and reunited with the Global Heritage Monument of the Parthenon, especially following the opening of the Acropolis Museum, which is ready to welcome the Marbles “back to their home.”
April 6, 2021