Good afternoon.
Today I had the pleasure and honour of welcoming the Minister President of the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mr. Laschet, to Athens.
We had an in-depth discussion of the impact of the pandemic on our societies and our economies.
We talked about the results of the recent EU Summit Meeting and the creation of the Recovery Fund. We concluded that this is confirmation that the European Union, united in solidarity, can write a new page in its history.
We looked at ways to enhance the already warm relations between Greece and Germany. We also talked in detail about the developments in the eastern Mediterranean, and I had the opportunity to brief my interlocutor on Turkey's escalating provocations.
I reiterated that Greece is ready for dialogue in the framework of international law, the International Law of the Sea and good neighbourly relations.
But dialogue cannot be carried out under threats. And by dialogue, we do not mean a dialogue on just any issue. Greece has one dispute with Turkey: the delimitation of the continental shelf and the maritime zones over the continental shelf.
We also talked about the situation in Libya, the situation in our wider region, the migration issue, the enormous challenges that await us.
I briefed the Minister President on the role that Greece believes Germany can play in our region and how we can create better conditions for our common European future.
Minister President, thank you very much for visiting Greece and for visiting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
August 3, 2020