“Greece is the country that par excellence has a strategic relationship with the countries of the Western Balkans,” said Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, speaking earlier in Parliament. “We have managed, at this moment, to have excellent relations, with all the states”, underlined Mr. Gerapetritis and added: “This happens because the present government is governed, as far as foreign policy is concerned, by an attitude of principle, rules . We will never appear inconsistent. And this is something we are credited with because we can talk in terms of consistency and integrity with everyone even when there are competitors in the same area.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs came to the Parliament, in order to answer a topical question of the MP of the New Left, Sia Anagnostopoulos, about the government’s strategy in the Western Balkans and, in particular, about the government’s attitude towards the integration of Kosovo into the Council of Europe, the implementation of the Agreement of Prespa and the relationship with Albania, especially after the participation of Mr. Beleris, in the European ballot of New Democracy.
Sia Anagnostopoulou said that while the geopolitical upheavals are critical and leave no room for complacency, the Greek government seems “lost in the Balkan horizon” and instead of having a firm strategic policy on what it wants to do, it either remains inactive when everything is moving around or when it moves, it causes problems.
“Greece is the accelerating country in terms of the European, Union and Euro-Atlantic course of the Western Balkans. Of course we understand that this course is subject to conditions, it is the EU enlargement policy and the stabilization and association process, with clear reference to rule of law and democracy, respect for fundamental rights, and respect for minorities”, said the foreign minister and added that “Greece maintains excellent relations with all the member states of the Western Balkans, especially with traditionally friendly countries, such as Serbia and Montenegro, with whom we have developed special connectivity agreements, at the level of transport and energy”.
“The policy of the authorities has allowed us to be fair interlocutors in difficult circumstances, such as the relationship between Belgrade and Pristina, but of course to be able to talk with Bosnia and Herzegovina and also with Kosovo”, said Giorgos Gerapetritis.
Kosovo
The New Left MP referred to Kosovo. “Do you think that this double policy, the proposal of Mrs. Bakoyannis and the upvoting of Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe, the upvoting by the deputies of the New Democracy, without Kosovo meeting the conditions of the Brussels international agreement, is for the good of the region? For the interest of our country?”, was the first question that Mrs. Anagnostopoulou asked the foreign minister, pointing out that Cyprus voted against and “has a very important basis” for voting against.
“Especially, as far as Kosovo is concerned, the position of the Greek government remains absolutely stable”, said the foreign minister and added: “We understand that within the framework of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly and the competent committee, there is a specific procedure, which is a parliamentary procedure and does not concern the governments. From the beginning, Greece followed an attitude that was particularly consistent. Just as we refrained from the procedure by which Kosovo’s application, for membership in the Council of Europe, was referred by the Commission ministers in the Parliamentary Assembly, for an opinion, we will vote in exactly the same way when the time comes for the committee of ministers. reality counts as negation”.
“You know very well that your answer about Kosovo cannot convince anyone,” commented Sia Anagnostopoulou and added: “So we have a double policy? We have Mrs. Bakoyannis, as the rapporteur, and three ND MPs, who are in favor of the accession , without meeting the conditions of the Brussels Agreement, of 2013. It sets a bad precedent, while our country is traditionally and firmly, and does well, in favor of observing international agreements. It also sets a bad precedent in relation to expropriations, we also have the issue of property in Albania, but we also have the issue of Cyprus, we have to listen to it very seriously you know better than I that in situations like this, when international agreements are violated, even with weak arguments, they can create momentum. You will vote against or say “present” or abstain. But Greece has already made its mark, because Greece played the leading role and this is very important for Kosovo”.
“We are in permanent consultation with Cyprus on the major issues of national policy. We do not give up. On the contrary, we have managed to achieve significant successes in the context of this cooperation. Among the most recent is the inclusion in the conclusions of the European Council of two paragraphs in relation to with the Euro-Turkish relations, which explicitly mention the progress of the Cypriot”, answered Giorgos Gerapetritis.
Regarding Kosovo, the foreign minister said that the Greek position is permanent and clear. “We said from the beginning that we do not think that, under the current conditions, Kosovo will be able to join international organizations. There is a special mention in the Ahrida Agreements, precisely between Serbia and Kosovo, that refers to the question of joining international organizations. But I I will not refer to that. I will refer to the fact that the Greek government is not going to agree to the integration of Kosovo, although we maintain the necessary bilateral relations, so that we have good neighborly relations allow me to say that it is also a matter of parliamentary independence, but Greece is expressed by its government, and this government is absolutely consistent, from the moment of the submission of the application by Kosovo until the final decision of the Council of Ministers, whenever it take place”.
The Prespa Agreement
In relation to the Prespa Agreement, the New Left MP said that it is up in the air and instead of the Greek government having pushed for the operational implementation of the Agreement, “so that whatever government comes to North Macedonia, it cannot escape from the Agreement”, nothing has progressed, neither the three memoranda have been signed, nor any interstate, supreme council, has taken place, nor the textbooks, nor the trademarks. “Mr. Minister, we have the feeling that in the matter of North Macedonia, the government is being held hostage by the extreme right wing and Mr. Samaras,” said Sia Anagnostopoulou.
“The Treaty of Prespa is a prerequisite for the progress of the pre-accession process of the Republic of North Macedonia in the EU”, said Giorgos Gerapetritis and added: “From the beginning, we had formulated the reservations, especially regarding the fundamental technical parts of Agreement of Prespa. But this Agreement is overriding any law. So essentially it is a overriding text. We follow the development of this agreement very closely.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out that on March 27, 2024, the 8th meeting of the joint scientific committee of experts took place, on historical, archaeological and educational issues. In this climate, Mr. Gerapetritis said that “there is monitoring” and the memoranda “will come in the political time that the government will judge”. He pointed out at the same time that “there must be faithful observance, on behalf of the neighboring country as well”.
“The government has been insisting for five years, for the protocols that have not been ratified by the Parliament, telling us that this will happen when the government decides. Tell me, is a period of destabilization good for our country? The Prespa Agreement foresees a supreme interstate council every year. It has never happened,” commented the New Left MP and underlined the importance of lasting agreements and partnerships in diplomacy.
“Certainly the state has continuity. Of course the issues about which we expressed our reservations arise and we will see how the elections in the neighboring country will go. Despite this, we express the continuity of the state”, said the foreign minister and added: ” We absolutely accept the Prespa Agreement. It could not be otherwise because this is a constitutional requirement. On the other hand, we will closely monitor its development and compliance. Because in order for the protocols to be ratified and exist any envisaged progress, in terms of secondary protocols or memoranda, would have to be agreed upon by both parties and there would have to be full compliance with the imperatives of the Prespa agreement”.
Albania
“Do you consider it a success or failure of the government to put Mr. Beleris on the European ballot of the New Democracy, with the known political past, while the issues with Albania are open, I am referring to the national minority, the Hague and the EEZ,” he said Mrs. Anagnostopoulou.
“Greece is in principle in favor of Albania joining the EU and of course we feel that the policy we have followed is in line with the interests of the Greek minority in Albania. The rule of law is not a bilateral issue. We have reduced it to a European issue “Greece, with its statement, expressed the reservation and will continue to do so, as long as there are issues that go back to the rule of law,” replied the foreign minister.
“We have a complete failure of Greek foreign policy. We saw Mr. Mitsotakis, with fiestas with Mr. Rama, before the municipal elections. And immediately after we saw all that happened with the municipal elections, with an elected mayor, etc.”, said Mrs. Anagnostopoulou and added: “because I was in the government at the time that was set as a criterion entered into the conclusions, the rule of law and the rights of the national minority. Whether it succeeded or not, the government’s policy these years. And the inclusion of Mr. Beleri on the ND ballot, what does it signal but a wink to a far-right audience”.
“The issue of Mr. Beleris’ inclusion on the ballot is something that concerns the party and does not concern the government,” answered Mr. Gerapetritis and added: “But I want to point out – it is the right of each party to have candidates or not If so, then it would be good to ask me a question regarding whether you consider the government’s attitude correct in what happened after May 14, 2023. Do you disagree with something in the attitude of the Greek government which was the one that upgraded the issue, from bilateral to European? Do you disagree with the fact that we have explicitly stated that there must be a very systematic investigation for the observance of the prescribed conditions which are respect for fundamental freedoms, respect for the rule of law, respect for the rights of minorities, respect for political rights, for This is a perennial demand of the Greek governments. I assure you that we will continue to have this attitude. The issues that have to do with democracy and the rule of law cannot be discounted. And when the time comes, Greece, as a very strong member of the European family, will have a very strong say whenever there is a question of evaluation in this progress.”
