Alt. FM Katrougalos: Greek foreign policy grounded in international law
«Greek foreign policy is always drawn with international law in mind», said Alternative Foreign Minister George Katrougalos in an interview to Athens-Macedonia News Agency shortly after the conclusion of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
On Turkey's recent positions contesting the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus, Katrougalos said that it is Greece's standard practice to respond soberly to provocations and added that, on a diplomatic level, the government has taken all the necessary steps to ensure there is no reason for concern.
Asked to comment on the series of unofficial maps allegedly presenting Turkey's claims on Greek national waters, Katrougalos said that "we have specific arguments grounded on international law that can manifestly refute unsubstantiated claims like the one suggesting that islands have no continental shelf." An argument like this would entail that Britain and Ireland have no right over their respective economic zones, he added.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Katrougalos met with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, to discuss various national issues such as Cyprus's right to exploit its natural resources.
Finally, the Alternative Minister said that all matters discussed at the Council are related to the fundamental question of designing a European foreign and defence policy that is "as robust and as autonomous as possible."
Source: AMNA
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