“Greece
and Cyprus could play the “bridge role” between the EU and a
country such as Russia, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias told
Russian foreign-language news agency Sputnik in an interview.”
“'We’ve
never waged wars against each other, there have never been opposing
powers, we’ve never had any kind of negative characteristics that
exist between EU member states. This means that we are the country
that could play the role of a bridge,’ he added, noting that both
Greece and Cyprus are not only members of the EU, but do not even
reckon themselves outside the EU, despite their traditional relations
with the BRICS countries.”
“Greece
believes that economic sanctions are useless in attempts to force
another country to change its political motives, Kotzias said. [...]
Kotzias said the new Greek government was against sectoral sanctions
on Russia while 'Other kinds of sanctions were imposed long before we
set up our government.' Kotzias referred also to past experiences by
Greece: 'We should remember the Greek experience. Greece laid
sanctions and embargo against FYROM and as you know these measures
led to a situation that the only winners were some oligarchs who
committed raw materials smuggling. It was proved that sanctions are
not an efficient instrument, and they are not efficient in any case,'
Kotzias said.”
“Greek
Foreign Minister Kotzias has also commented on the new gas pipeline
that the Russian side has put forward to replace the South Stream
one. 'Greece is planning to be a connecting link including the ideas
concerning the pipeline that comes from Turkey,' Kotzias underlined.
'We think that what is needed is the stabilization of peace in
Ukraine and Europe should not come to rupture in its relations with
Russia, as well as Russia should also avoid taking actions that do
not lead to trust relations with the European Union,' Kotzias added.
'In the long-term perspective Russia has to be affiliated in the
European security architecture and there should not be formed a
security system against Russia,' Kotzias noted.”
Related:
Comments
Post a Comment