Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-11-23

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] FM briefs Parliamentary Committee on foreign policy issues

[01] FM briefs Parliamentary Committee on foreign policy issues

Molyviatis said that any new effort on the issue of Cyprus must be "well prepared, without suffocating time limits. There should be no other failure", adding that "if a solution to the issue of Cyprus is not found, Turkey will be obliged to recognise the current Republic of Cyprus. Therefore, it has an incentive to contribute to a solution so as to recognise the product of the solution and not the present state."

According to the foreign minister, the decisions of October 3 regarding the accession course of Turkey, as well as of the rest of the Balkan countries, constitute a positive framework, both for Greece and the wider region.

"Our support for the European course of Turkey is sincere, but it does not constitute a carte blanche. Turkey has the right to full accession when it will have fully responded to European criteria, principles, rules. Turkey's full response is the only path," he said.

Referring to the issue of Kosovo, Molyviatis said that "we believe that the solution must be the result of substantive negotiations without timetables and it must not be the product of imposition. It must respect international legality, include regional stability and security, it must be compatible with the principles and the values of the EU. The solution must be a European one" and that "our aim is a safe multinational and multicultural Kosovo."

On the question of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the foreign minister spoke of "an issue also linked to extremist cries and cries of irredentism."

He stressed that "also following the recent proposals by (UN special mediator Matthew) Nimetz, our message is clear:We desire a mutually acceptable solution in the framework of the UN process. We have taken a bold step. If the intransigence of the other side continues, we fully retain our right not to permit its entry to international organisations with any other name other than that of FYROM."

Opposition party speakers observed a critical approach to foreign policy.

Main opposition PASOK party cadre Petros Efthymiou said "we do not have the feeling that things are going well" and accused the government "of hanging Greece unilaterally on the strategies of the United States in the Balkans."

Efthymiou also said that the government is putting "to a depth of time" the handling of crucial options regarding Turkey, without benefits of course, while in relation to Kosovo he said that Greece's opposition to the possibility of a change in borders is not clear.

Speaking on behalf of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Orestis Kolozov said that the government, both on the issue of the European constitution and the handling of Balkan issues "is leading the country to further dependence on imperialist institutions."

Kolozov also said that "you cannot go to Kosovo as a negotiator as if our country has no position, just for a compromise solution to be found. A compromise solution with a change in borders will be a bomb for the Balkans."

Former Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Constantopoulos, speaking on behalf of his party, said "we are continuing to be behind developments. It is inconceivable that the provocations of Turkey are not backing down in the least. The United States is before us on all fronts. The conception that the EU is our decisive support is being put to the test (if not denied) and Euro-Atlantic conceptions are prevailing. We must preoccupy ourselves with this fact so as not to be led to a feeling of isolation."

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