“I conveyed to the Syrian president our disgust for crimes and slaughter of Christians”
Greece’s readiness to support its new government Lebanonthrough the transfer of know -how for the design and implementation of reforms needed to change the country page and to strengthen the country’s armed forces to exercise national sovereignty, especially in the sensitive area of southern Lebane Kyriakos Mitsotakisin his statement after the completion of the multilateral meeting at the Champs -Elysee Mansion Paris With the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, the President of Lebanese President Joseph Aun, and the transitional President of Syrian Ahmed al -Sarah, who participated through a telepathy.
According to government sources, current developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East were put on the meeting with a focus on security, immigration, interconnection and energy issues.
Mr Mitsotakis, according to the same sources, placed particular emphasis on the security challenges facing the region, as well as the common challenge of the refugee and migrant issue, especially for Lebanon, which is under increased pressures on the border with Syria and for Cyprus.
For Syria, the prime minister reiterated the fixed Greek position for an inclusive political process of Syrian property, which will protect all national and religious communities. Indeed, Kyriakos Mitsotakis did not fail to express his disgust for the recently committed northwestern Syria at the expense of Christian populations.while underlining the importance of full accountability. He reiterated Greece’s support in a Syrian inclusive, which respects all minorities and international law.
Finally, he expressed that energy works of common interest is for the benefit of stability in the wider region.
Following is the statement by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis shortly after completing the multilateral meeting:
“First of all, I find it very important that France is present, actively present, in developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and that This strategic relationship, which has a great historical depth of France with Lebanon, now includes both our countries, Cyprus and Greece, countries which are both factors and pillars of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. And, of course, I appreciate that this scheme will have a continuum and depth of time, as our interests in the wider area are perfectly aligned.
We discussed in this context the support that we can provide to Lebanon and its new government. It is extremely positive that after many and complicated processes Lebanon has now acquired a government, acquired a new president, who needs our support for his country to stabilize, because a stable Lebanon is a mound in both refugee flows to Europe, but also a country that can play a country that can be stabilized.
In this context, we reiterated our willingness to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in order to be able to exercise national sovereignty, especially in the sensitive South Lebanon.. And there I repeat that it is very important, on all sides, to maintain the truce that has been agreed to not reopen a hostility front in the southern Lebanon.
From there on, yes, I had For the first time the opportunity to talk to the new Syrian president and I transported him without spin, not only Greece’s strong interest in the Orthodox Christian populations in his country, but also my disgust for crimes, the massacres that took place a few weeks ago.
I have clearly asked that there must be accountability and exemplary punishment by the culprits and expressed my hope that the new Syrian government, which will be announced tomorrow, would be an inclusive government, which would incorporate its great ethnic and religious wealth.
Because Syria, if it wants to move forward and prosper and become a factor of stability and not destabilization in the region, must be done with complete respect for all religious and ethnic minorities, in this extremely complex “mosaic” of religions and ethnicities.
And I also reiterated that Greece can only agree to the further lifting of penalties provided that there is a complete ensuring the inclusion of the political process and the protection of all minorities.
And I think in this spirit, our other interlocutors moved and we agreed on a text that will be ready until the night, which will reflect a clear roadmap for how the new Syrian government has to go from now on, what can we expect from us.
So, in conclusion, I think it was a very useful and meaningful meeting. I repeat that it is extremely important that France is present in the Eastern Mediterranean and talks to countries traditionally are military partners in France, in order to always find solutions that will benefit the general stability and prosperity of our region. “
