JOURNALIST: Mr Dendias, a few days ago Parliament passed the law to expand our territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 nautical miles. What does this act mean, and what is to come?
N. DENDIAS: I consider it a great personal honour to have recommended, in the name of the Mitsotakis government, to Parliament the adoption of a law expanding the boundaries of Greece by at least 10,000 square kilometres — if taking the bay closing lines into account, then the expansion exceeds 13,000 square kilometres. However, let me underline that the adoption of this law is a collective act of historical significance, both in terms of its symbolism and in terms of the effective, positive footprint towards safeguarding our national rights. The boundaries of Greece are growing peacefully and through the application of International Law, with all that this entails.
The government not only proclaimed that it would extend our territorial waters, but actually did it. For decades, Greece declared that it had this right and the prerogative to exercise it, but had not done so to date. The expansion is now a reality. As I have noted in the past, we have started the technical processes required to ensure that we are ready to expand our territorial waters in other parts of the country. We reserve the inalienable right to expand our territorial waters to 12 nautical miles at any place and at any time, when deemed expedient.
At this point, I would like to underline the positive attitude of the overwhelming majority of the opposition parties which voted in favour of this bill, and the fact that no MP voted against it. I would also like to take the opportunity to once again express my gratitude to my colleagues in Parliament, as the bill was adopted in an atmosphere of national consensus, with virtually no quarrels and party politics for the most part, demonstrably proving that national unity can be achieved in light of the major security challenges facing our country. As the Prime Minister said, the framework of national consensus was broadened.
JOURNALIST: Do you have a clear idea as to the process and framework for conducting exploratory talks with Turkey? Could their duration be indefinite, as was the case with the round of talks that was discontinued in 2016, or is a schedule also being discussed this time? What will happen if the Turkish delegation raises issues of demilitarisation of islands, changes to the limits of search and rescue responsibility in the Aegean Sea, grey zones or anything else it believes would serve its interests?
N. DENDIAS: Almost five years have passed since the last round of exploratory talks, which ceased in March 2016 [with Turkey being at fault]. This is why, if I might use the expression, they have taken on a “mythical dimension”.
I am a pragmatist by nature.
Therefore, I would like to stress what the exploratory talks are not: they are not negotiations. The purpose of the talks is to explore points of convergence for possible future talks on a single issue.
Moreover, these talks are informal. No minutes are kept and neither side will undertake obligations and commitments.
Let me be clear: the issue to be discussed during any future negotiations will be the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, on the basis of International Law, and how this can be achieved. If no agreement is reached during any negotiations that might follow the exploratory talks, the two sides must agree on a special agreement text to be brought before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
I must also stress that the demilitarisation of islands will not be discussed at the exploratory talks. No issues concerning national sovereignty will be discussed.
We will be attending these talks in good faith, with a constructive attitude and, most importantly, with no provocations. We do not wish to escalate matters; not will we try to undermine the exploratory talks in one way or another. On the contrary, it is our hope that these talks will lead to de-escalation, as the European Council underlined last December, when it referred to the “smooth continuation” of the exploratory talks.
I hope that the Turkish side will also be attending these talks with a similar attitude.
As regards the schedule, we should separate various theories and conjectures from undeniable facts. First of all, we are talking about relaunching the talks.
Formally, they never ended, they were simply discontinued for a long period of time. Their periodic nature was never a given fact. Over the course of the two decades, more or less, since the first meeting, 60 rounds of talks took place, i.e. an average of three rounds per year. However, reality is completely different. There were no rounds during the last five years. There were over ten rounds in a single year. During other years, with different governments in Athens, we only had a single round per year. Therefore, we cannot extrapolate any solid predictions beforehand. As I stressed earlier, the only certitude is the positive approach of Athens, which we honestly hope will meet with a commensurate, positive approach on behalf of Ankara.
JOURNALIST: When do you believe you will be meeting with Mr Çavuşoğlu?
N. DENDIAS: As is well known, my Turkish counterpart and I share a long friendship, ever since we were both members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. We last met in Bratislava last October, at which time Mr Çavuşoğlu had promised that the Turkish side would be proposing dates for the exploratory talks. And instead it dispatched the ‘Oruc Reis’. The rest is history. However, this does not mean that the bridges of communication have been burned. Following the recent earthquake that hit Samos and Izmir, in particular, I called him and offered Greece's assistance to free survivors from rubble. A short while later, when I had to quarantine as a precaution, Mr Çavuşoğlu called me to inquire after my health. In any case, as to when the new bilateral meeting will be held, the answer is this: when conditions permit and an appropriate atmosphere allowing such a meeting to be constructive is achieved.
JOURNALIST: In the updating of the refugee agreement expected in March as part of the general discussion of EU-Turkey relations, are there additional provisions regarding Turkey's obligations so that we don't see the instrumentalisation of refugees on Greece's borders again?
N. DENDIAS: With regard to this issue, which we are monitoring together with the competent Ministry of Migration and Asylum, I must clarify that there is no issue of updating or amending the joint EU-Turkey statement of March 2016. Such a discussion would stir up a hornet’s nest. The 2016 statement explicitly mentions three obligations that Turkey has undertaken and must perform: 1) to protect its borders in order to reduce illegal migration flows; 2) to not allow the creation of new migration routes; and 3) to accept returns. Unfortunately, Turkey is not performing any of these obligations to a satisfactory level.
JOURNALIST: Let’s visit the other side of our neighbourhood. How is the accession process of Albania and North Macedonia faring after the threatened veto by the Bulgarian government in regard to the latter? Do you expect a new initiative by the Portuguese presidency?
N. DENDIAS: Mr Agrolabos, please permit me a minor remark before answering your question. A few days ago marked the fortieth anniversary of a historic event for post-war Greece and, I would venture to say, for the country's history in general: our accession to what was the EEC at the time, thanks to the insight of Konstantinos Karamanlis. At the time, Greece was the only Balkan country to join this exclusive circle.
Thenceforth, it was our moral obligation to actively contribute to the efforts of Western Balkan countries to accede to the European Union. Firstly, because this is in our interest. Their accession will solidify security, prosperity and stability in the region. Furthermore, it will prevent the rise of revisionist or extremist influences or efforts to revive empires, all of which belong in the past.
This is why we are offering every assistance. We are demonstrably on the side of our neighbours. Furthermore, we are making efforts within the framework of the European Union in order to supply them with vaccines to combat COVID-19 as soon as possible.
However, their accession will take place on the basis of the conditionality and individual performance of every candidate state. There are certain important criteria that both countries must meet. For instance, this includes the application of the Prespa Agreement. I discussed this issue extensively with my North Macedonian counterpart, Mr Osmani, just last week, stressing that even if work is achieved towards applying the name change, greater progress is required towards the implementation and consistent use of the name and the eradication of the “antiquisation programme”. I should further note, with respect to Albania, the position of our country and of the European Union regarding the correct approach to issues concerning the Greek minority.
JOURNALIST: Do you expect that, under Joe Biden's new administration, the US will return to bridge the gap created in the Middle East and the Mediterranean in recent years?
N. DENDIAS: I look forward to meeting my new US counterpart, Antony Blinken, in order to discuss the prospects for deepening our bilateral cooperation, including an upgrade to the mutual defence cooperation agreement (MDCA) and developments in the wider region. We look forward to the USA establishing a more active presence in the Eastern Mediterranean and expanding their strategic footprint our region. The form and time-frame of this presence remain to be clarified. What we further expect is for the new US government to place particular emphasis on cultivating transatlantic ties and cooperating with the European Union.
JOURNALIST: You had stated that you cannot be optimistic with regard to the Cyprus issue in view of the informal talks at the quintilateral meeting, with Turkey openly declaring that it wishes for a solution involving two states that are equivalent in terms of politics and sovereignty. Can there be discussion when two diametrically opposite opinions are held?
N. DENDIAS: There is a single framework for resolving the Cyprus issue, and it is known to all: a bizonal, bicommunual federation on the basis of the Resolutions of the UN Security Council that is compatible with the European acquis. In any event, informal talks at a quintilateral meeting convened by the UN Secretary General do not constitute official negotiations.
January 23, 2021