Mitsotakis: Hellenic Navy ships will be deployed outside Libya’s territorial waters to prevent migratory flows

During his meeting with the President of the Hellenic Republic Constatine Tassoulas on Monday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated the following:

“This week does not start with the best geopolitical prospects. I want to publicly express, once again, the Greek government’s deep concern over the developments in the wider Middle East region following the United States’ strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. It is an explicit position, not only of Greece but also of the European Union, that Iran must not acquire a nuclear arsenal.”

“However, further escalation in military operations may lead to many more problems than it will solve. Therefore, I would like to once again call on all parties involved to return to the negotiating table so that even at the last moment a further military escalation can be avoided, which, as you understand, may also have economic consequences for the global economy and the course of inflation.

“And of course, we must also take into account the fact that our homeland, as a very strong maritime power, must constantly ensure the safety of ships under the Greek flag and Greek-owned ships operating in the wider region, and obviously the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy has ensured that all relevant instructions are given. From there, everything necessary has been done so that the country is absolutely safe.

“I would also like to express my horror and my anger at the recent terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus and to call once again in the most urgent manner on the new government of Syria to take practical steps to protect all ethnic and religious minorities. Such tragic incidents obviously make us very anxious and our thoughts today are with the Patriarch of Antioch and his flock. I would also like to inform you that tomorrow afternoon I will be leaving for the NATO summit, where the only substantive issue on the agenda is the increase in the alliance’s defence spending over the next decade.

“It is an increase that Greece supports as we are consistently among those countries that spend a significant percentage of our GDP on defence spending and it is important to participate in an alliance to the same extent in order to achieve the collective aim of the alliance.

“Finally, Mr. President, I would like to inform you about a phenomenon that causes us considerable concern and I refer to the increased flows of undocumented migrants from Libya to Crete. Unfortunately, we have seen several incidents in recent days that force us to act in a preventive and deterrent manner more strongly.

“I have asked, also in the context of yesterday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, the Minister of National Defence and the leadership of the armed forces to ensure that Hellenic Navy ships are deployed outside of Libya’s territorial waters so that, preventively and always in cooperation with the Libyan authorities and the other European forces, we can send a message that the smugglers are not going to dictate who enters our country. I think it is a move that is necessary under the current circumstances and obviously the issue of Libya will be raised by me with great urgency at the European Council next Thursday and I believe that there will be relevant conclusions that will fully cover the Greek positions.”

On his part, President Tassoulas said the following:

“Indeed, the week does not start auspiciously; there is great concern among the Greek people about the escalation of uncertainty. What is happening in the Middle East is no longer mere volatility – it has gone beyond the bounds of volatility. It is clear that the views of Europe, Greece, and other countries that diplomatic means must prevail are the only way to avoid the worst.

“It is also noteworthy that, starting tomorrow, there will be a series of meetings at NATO and in Europe where the call for a diplomatic solution to the concern over Iran’s potential to acquire a nuclear arsenal will be strengthened. Because if the conflict-driven logic of volatility continues, I believe the impact will be unfortunate, and it will not only be local -affecting us in the broader Middle East region – but it will have a global adverse impact.”

“Later, I will meet with the Serbian Prime Minister, and obviously, I will inform him about what we will discuss. Obviously, the issue of the horrific murder and terrorist attack at the Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus, at the Greek Orthodox Church, is something that shocks us all and shows that the transitional regime, despite its assurances, is unable to protect religious communities – specifically the Greek Orthodox one – and this raises concerns for us.

“However, our country must remain on constant alert so that it can relocate Greeks from the affected areas, as it has already done to ensure their safety in the homeland, and also to demonstrate that it is not willing, in light of this great volatility and conflict, to tolerate worsening situations, such as the recent surge in illegal migrant entries from Libya.

“Therefore, we knowingly operate within a state of dangerous instability. It is worth striving to reduce this instability, and it is worth trying to ensure that diplomacy, which currently seems to be retreating (though this is not definitive), gains the upper hand. Henceforth, developments should be determined by prudence and wisdom, as the Greek permanent representative to the UN Security Council said yesterday, and not by hasty moves that could lead to uncontrollable situations that we all wish to avoid.

“Therefore, we proceed, seeking diplomatic solutions, and make every effort to address the uncertainty and instability caused by the conflict in the Middle East – I repeat, as you said – through diplomatic means, through dialogue, and not by escalating volatility or hostilities, in which our country obviously has no participation.”

source ANA-MPA