FM Gerapetritis at EU dinner with Turkish FM Fidan: Open communication channels with Türkiye will help prevent crises

Athens.- Greece and Türkiye collaborate on key issues of the positive agenda and keep channels of communications open, Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis said at an informal working dinner of his fellow EU foreign ministers with Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan, diplomatic sources noted on Thursday.

“Despite the fundamental differences existing between them, Greece and Türkiye collaborate on significant issues of the positive agenda, and it is important to maintain open channels of communications to prevent crises,” Gerapetritis said during his intervention at the event, according to diplomatic sources.

At the same time, the Greek FM underlined that Greece encourages the European prospect of Türkiye, which could prove mutually beneficial for both the EU and Türkiye, provided of course that Türkiye respects the European acquis and international law to its full extent, as well as the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all EU member states.

In relation to the Cyprus issue, which depends on progress in Greek-Turkish relations, Gerapetritis underlined the need to find a solution in the framework of  UN Security Council resolutions and he called on Türkiye  to exhaust every possibility for the resumption of talks under the UN auspices, the diplomatic sources noted.