Through today's Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of its 27 member states, the European Union expressly condemned Turkey’s escalating illegal conduct in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, including the violations of our territorial waters and our airspace. Apart from being an evident act of solidarity, the Joint Declaration is unquestionably a clear and strong message of opposition to the ongoing and flagrant violation of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. It follows the Joint Declaration adopted a few days ago by France, Egypt, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and our country.
The EU reiterates that respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all states in their maritime zones in the eastern Mediterranean, based on International Law and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, is binding for all states, without exception.
We also exchanged views on the Middle East peace process in light of the EU’s well-known positions and the recent developments in the region. We stressed the importance of EU-Israel cooperation and that we look forward to the continuation of this constructive relationship with the country’s new government, which is expected to take office in the coming days.
In addition to the above, in today’s video conference we discussed the Union’s initiatives in its wider neigbourhood in response to the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the results of the recent EU-Western Balkans video-conference summit meeting. The decision of the heads of state to provide economic support for the countries of the Western Balkans in response to the pandemic was not only a gesture of solidarity, but also showed this region’s strategic importance for and privileged relationship with the Union. Following a joint initiative of Greece and North Macedonia, next week we will be holding a video conference with my colleagues in the Balkans and neighbouring European countries to discuss better coordination for the quickest possible return to socio-economic normalcy, with the assistance of the EU, of course, following an unprecedented period of severe restrictions necessitated by the pandemic.
We also assessed our contribution via the “Team Europe” programme, the EU’s contribution to related international initiatives – such as air transport of European emergency aid to vulnerable countries, with special emphasis on Africa and the Middle East – as well as the ways in which the EU can strengthen its strategic partnerships with the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood.
Finally, I noted the need for operation IRINI to act effectively to support implementation of the Libya arms embargo, which is a major contribution towards creating the necessary conditions for bringing peace to Libya and stability to our region, which is Europe’s southern neighbourhood.
May 15, 2020