Erdogan questions legitimacy of Cyprus Flag, trying to equate the aggressor with the victim

The Greek Foreign Ministry has denounced recent statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who angrily detested the legitimacy of the Cypriot flag that displays the whole island.

Greece recalls ambassador from Austria amid EU rifts

Greece has recalled its ambassador to Austria amid sharp divisions among EU states over the migrant crisis.

Greece blasts Austria: Austria’s move to exclude Greece from Vienna conference is not a friendly one

The Foreign Ministry’s Political Director, Ambassador Petros Mavroeidis, yesterday delivered to the Austrian Ambassador here, Andrea Ikić-Böhm, a demarche regarding the initiative for organizing, in Vienna, a conference of the Interior and Foreign Ministers of Austria and the countries of the Western Balkans.

Russia defends weapon delivery to Syria

Russia on Wednesday defended its supply of military equipment to Syria, saying it complies with international law.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ statement regarding the new Turkish NAVTEX for the vessel “Barbaros”

Hellenic MFA, Tuesday, 06 January 2015

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement:

“I express my disappointment at the fact that Turkey, in a NAVTEX, announced the decision it has taken to continue, through the activities of the vessel “Barbaros”, the flagrant violation of international law and blatant violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus; that is, the sovereign rights of a member state of the European Union.

Deputy FM Gerontopoulos meets with the Republic of Cyprus’s Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Affairs of Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou

Hellenic MFA, Wednesday, 10 December 2014:
"Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos met at the Foreign Ministry today, Wednesday, 10 December, with the Republic of Cyprus’s Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Affairs of Overseas Cypriots, Fotis Fotiou, and the Representative of the Greek Cypriot community to the Committee on Missing Persons, Nestoras Nestoros.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ welcome address at the Association of Diplomatic Personnel event on “200 years since the founding of the Society of Friends”

 Hellenic MFA, Tuesday, 25 November 2014:

E. VENIZELOS: I want to congratulate the new board of the Association of Diplomatic Personnel on the initiatives it is undertaking, and I am pleased that these public events are starting with today’s, which is dedicated to the Society of Friends (Filiki Eteria); that is, in reality, to the foundations of the War of Independence of the modern Greek State.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement on the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Brussels)

Hellenic MFA, Monday, 17 November 2014:
“It is difficult, but it is a political and historical imperative for the European Union, as a political entity, to shape its own policy, always in cooperation with the U.S., with NATO – within the framework of the UN Security Council’s resolutions – on all the pending issues, which at this time are pressing Europe on all sides, and especially Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statements following the trilateral Political Consultations on the level of Secretaries General of the FM of Greece, Israel and Cyprus

E. VENIZELOS: As I had the opportunity to set out before the National Council on Foreign Policy and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense and Foreign Affairs, we have here, today, at the Foreign Ministry, a trilateral meeting of the Secretaries General of the Foreign Ministries of Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statements following his meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, N. Anastasiades (Nicosia, 29 October 2014)

Hellenic MoFA,  Wednesday, 29 October 2014:

E. VENIZELOS: We had a very interesting and substantial discussion with President Anastasiades, in the presence of Foreign Minister Kasoulides. We looked at the organization of the visit from Prime Minister Samaras, who will be coming next week – accompanied by me – and at the meeting of the heads of the political parties, which will take place with our participation.

Deputy FM Gerontopoulos visits Moldova

Hellenic MFA, Friday, 24 October 2014:

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos visited Moldova on Thursday, 23 October. He met in the capital, Chisinau, with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iulian Groza, with whom he discussed Greek-Moldovan bilateral relations, developments in the wider region, and issues concerning Moldova’s European perspective. Mr. Groza expressed his government’s gratitude to Greece, during whose EU Presidency, in the first half of 2014, the Schengen visa requirement was waived for Moldovan citizens.

Statement on the Cyprus issue by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos

Hellenic MFA, Friday, 24 October 2014 :

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement on the Cyprus issue:

“I express publicly, as well, my best wishes to the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, for a speedy recovery and return to his duties. I had a telephone conversation with him today, optimistic. The condition of his health is much better, and he will soon recover.

Deputy FM Gerontopoulos visits the Greek communities of Brăila and Galați, Romania (22 October 2014)

Hellenic MFA, Thursday, 23 October 2014:

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos visited the Greek communities in the cities of Brăila and Galați on Wednesday, 22 October, during the second day of his trip to Romania.

In Brăila he was welcomed by the board of the local Greek Community, members of the Greek community, and the Mayor of the city, Mr. Aurel Simionescu.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement regarding the presence of the Turkish research vessel Barbaros within the Cypriot EEZ

Hellenic MFA , Monday, 20 October 2014:
“Unfortunately, Turkey did not listen to the voice of the international community, did not listen to the voice of the UN and the European Union, did not listen to the voice of international legality.

Its vessel, Barbaros, is in the region of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and will attempt to carry out exploration that is obviously a flagrant flouting of the International Law of the Sea, because in this region there is no question as to the delimitation of the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus.

Greek FM Accuses Turkey of Cyprus Negotiations Breakdown. -- (Turkey's actions threaten sovereign rights)

Greece has accused Turkey of escalating tensions around Cyprus and undermining negotiations on settlement of the Cyprus issue, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a Thursday statement.

"Unfortunately, at the center ... is Turkey’s refusal to see that the Republic of Cyprus is an independent and sovereign state, a member of the UN and the European Union, that exercises sovereignty and sovereign rights, in accordance with international law. The exercising of these rights includes the maritime zones  provided for by the Law of the Sea; more specifically, the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Continental Shelf," the statement said.

Hellenic Foreign Ministry announcement regarding Turkey’s stance on the Cyprus issue

Hellenic MFA, Thursday, 09 October 2014:

 

“It is sad and paradoxical that Turkey has decided to provoke new tension that undermines the negotiation process for the resolution of the Cyprus issue at a time when, first, the international community’s attention is focused on the struggle against the Islamic state and confronting the many crisis hotspots in the Middle East and North Africa, and, second, the negotiations are under way in Cyprus, within the framework of the Joint Communiqué of 11 February 2014, and the Secretary General’s new Special Envoy has just taken up his duties.

Foreign Ministry announcement regarding what was said at Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ meeting yesterday with the FM of FYROM, Mr. Poposki, in NY

Hellenic MFA, Saturday, 27 September 2014:

 

“As the Foreign Minister of FYROM, Mr. Poposki, is said to have stated to his country’s news media – following the meeting he had in New York with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos – that the Greek side does not see the resolution of the name issue as a priority, and because this has been said repeatedly by the Skopje side, it is useful for the following to be stressed:

Deputy FM Gerontopoulos attends event marking the 23rd anniversary of Armenian independence (Hellenic MFA)

Hellenic MFA, Wednesday, 24 September 2014:

 

On Monday, 22 September, Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos attended an event hosted by the Armenian Embassy in Athens, marking the 23rd anniversary of Armenian independence.

Mr. Gerontopoulos was received by the Armenian Ambassador to Athens, Gagik Ghalatchian, with whom he had a warm discussion, during which they reaffirmed the excellent relations between the two countries and talked about the prospects for the deepening of bilateral political and economic relations.

Deputy PΜ and FΜ Venizelos’ programme within the framework of his participation in the Ministerial Week of the 69th UN General Assembly (Sunday, 21 September 2014)

Hellenic MFA, Saturday, 20 September 2014:

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos will start his meetings in New York, within the framework of his participation in the Ministerial Week of the 69th UN General Assembly, with a meeting at 16:15 (local time) tomorrow, Sunday, 21 September, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement regarding the killing of British citizen David Haines (Hellenic MFA)

Hellenic MFA, Sunday, 14 September 2014:

“The abhorrent murder of Briton David Haines by the executioners of the so-called ‘Islamic Caliphate’ is yet another irrational act of barbarity, another heinous crime of this terrorist organization that exclusively targets innocent citizens and civilians.

We express our condolences to the victim’s family and to the citizens of Great Britain, and our solidarity with all of the populations and communities in the region suffering the ordeal of the base regime of the ‘Islamic State’.