Maximou “vacates” Bakoyannis for Kosovo

Clear distances from Dora Bakoyannis regarding in her report on accession of Kosovo to the Council of Europe he also takes the Maximus, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is recalled that the report of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the framework of the Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the inclusion of Kosovo in the Organization, caused strong reactions in Cyprus. The reason is that there is concern about creating a precedent for other separatist entities, that is to say that opens a “back door” for the occupied. This is why the Cypriot MPs voted against the relevant proposal.

While the Secretary of State George Gerapetritis declared that Kosovo did not qualify anyway and announced that Greece will vote against the accession request, as it has done in similar cases in the past.

Asked about this, the government representative, Pavlos Marinakis, in principle he pointed out that no decision of the Council of Europe can affect the accession or not of Kosovo. “The Greek positions remain the same over time. We want the differences between the two states to be resolved as provided for in the agreements between them”Mr. Marinakis continued and added:

“Greek foreign policy has not changed. The position of the country remains the same throughout time, something that has been reflected at all levels and at the level of the Foreign Minister, Mr. Gerapetritis, and he is the one who expresses the Greek position absolutely”.

Gerapetritis nails

It is particularly recalled that Mr. Gerapetritis in an interview with (Channel One 90.4FM) noted that the body that will decide on Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe is the Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU. He clarified that “Greece’s position remains stable and unchanged” and emphasized? “As we have done in the past in similar cases, Greece will abstain from this vote. In other words, he will not support the request for Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe for political reasons”.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs further distanced himself from Mrs. Bakoyannis’s report, stressing that: “Some of the fundamental issues have not yet been satisfied, and above all the creation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo, and therefore our essential policy has not changed.”

He also stated that: “Greece remains in the foreign policy of principles. We do not change our opinion unless the facts on the basis of which the decisions are made change. We will continue in this logic of principles. We we encourage dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. There have also been decisions in this direction in Ahrida. We want the peaceful resolution of disputes. Of course, this depends on the will of the parties to comply with the agreed terms and with International Law. Therefore, at this stage the Greek government will abstain from this vote”.

What does Bakoyannis answer?

It should be noted that after the reactions Mrs. Bakoyannis herself had stated that neither does it recognize Kosovo nor does such an issue emerge from its Report to the Council of Europe.

In fact, he spoke of “far-right attacks” which he accepts, while underlining that “President Christodoulidis knows very well that the issue has nothing to do with Cyprus”.

Mrs. Bakoyannis also invoked the good words said about the report by the former prime ministers Alexis Tsipras and George Papandreou although they abstained from voting.

“The people being persecuted in Kosovo are the Serbs. So, they were the ones the Report aimed to protect. The Serbs are reacting, and I understand and respect it, because anything about a part that became independent 20 years ago they don’t accept, and rightly so, and I wouldn’t accept it either in their place.”, he further argued. While referring to the judgment of the Hague Tribunal, “which clearly says that the issue of Cyprus and the issue of Kosovo can never be related in any way”.