Pursuit of her Greece as well as her Finland is’ a stronger, more durable and strategically autonomous Europewhich implies a powerful European defense system with increased potential and we are working hard in this direction, “the Foreign Minister said in a statement. George Gerapetritisafter his meeting with Finland Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in Helsinki.
As the Foreign Minister pointed out, “as countries of the European South and North respectively, Greece and Finland are meeting today with the aim of promoting the better understanding of security challenges. The external borders unite us, and I think this makes the modern challenges we face. “
He noted that “border protection is essential and important, an integral part of the European strategy” and noted that Greece “emphasizes the importance of fair sharing of weights, solidarity and preventing any migratory tooling phenomenon”.
He added that “as partners in the EU we remain united in our pursuit of a stronger, more durable and strategic autonomous Europe, which implies a powerful European defense system with increased potential and we are working hard in this direction.”
At the same time, he noted, “as allies in NATO, after the historic decision of Finland’s accession to NATO – which we had the honor of supporting – we remain committed to enhancing transatlantic relations.”
“Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we have strongly condemned Russia’s illegal invasion and supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence,” he said.
He noted that as a staunch supporter of international law and the statute of the United Nations, Greece supports every effort to end the war in Ukraine and calls on immediate and unconditional truce that will clearly ensure its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Greece, as a naval nation, attaches particular importance to sea security. We are directly condemning the existence of a shadow fleet that obviously violates international law and we will undertake every effort to combat this phenomenon, “he said.
During the meeting, the EU’s enlargement was also discussed, with Mr Gerapetritis noting the need to give vision to the partners in a pre-pension process.
In terms of our bilateral relations, it was agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of commerce, energy and tourism and to be strengthened in other areas, such as start -ups.
“Strengthening coordination in international forum means mutual support support,” the minister said, recalling that Greece is participating in the UN Security Council for the period 2025-2026 as an elected member.
“We strongly support the Finnish nomination for 2029-2030. I hope the Finnish term will take place in less troubled periods, “he said.
“President Stubb, in his recent inspirational speech at the UN General Assembly, pointed out that” war is always a failure of mankind “. And I think this is a very important statement for all of us, as it reflects our failures, “the foreign minister said.
“At today’s meeting, we have reiterated our commitment to work together to strengthen the UN to ensure that its fundamental peace role will be maintained for the benefit of future generations,” he concluded.