partnership armed forces France – Greece created as a strategic partnership and works for the benefit of its allies. This message sends me exclusive interview “K” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonnawho arrives in Athens today after visiting Anchor. The French official emphasizes that Turkey’s doubts about the sovereignty of Greece raise questions and require open channels of communication between the two “allied and neighboring countries.” In any case, he emphasizes that Paris will support Athens “whenever Greek sovereignty is questioned and that will not change.”

Ms. Colonna directly accuses Turkey and Belarus of using immigration as a tool to destabilize the European Union, calling for an “absolutely tough stance against those who use human suffering as a political weapon.” As for the energy shock from the Ukrainian crisis, it speaks to the price Europe will have to pay to protect its values ​​from Russia. Asked about the EU’s energy transition but also the departure of France’s Total from a plot of land in Crete, the French foreign minister advocates dedependence on Russian gas through renewables and nuclear energy, foreseeing Greece’s “good position” in the green energy development plan.

– Bilateral relations between Greece and France are excellent. Its deep cultural and cultural roots remain strong and enduring in all areas today. The strategic partnership signed by President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis a year ago has further enriched bilateral relations. In the field of defense, this partnership establishes close cooperation between our armed forces for the benefit of our allies. I applaud Greece’s decision to acquire French military hardware, which promises greater interoperability in the coming years. We also note with great satisfaction that, in the face of multiple crises, Paris and Athens very often share common approaches and always strive to increase solidarity and unity within the European Union. I already had the opportunity to discuss these issues with Nikos Dendias in Paris in July, and we agreed to continue this dialogue in Athens.

– I consider it necessary in the midst of the war in Ukraine to strengthen the dialogue with all countries that can play a significant role in this crisis, and Turkey is undoubtedly one of them. This prompted my trip to Ankara and Istanbul, which also gave me the opportunity to address key issues related to stability in our common neighborhood, including in the Eastern Mediterranean. On some issues, Turkey’s position raises questions, and it is normal and useful to maintain an open channel of communication with an allied and neighboring country so that everything can be discussed. I would like to reiterate the position that my country has already expressed many times through the mouth of the President of the Republic, namely that France is always clear and in solidarity whenever the sovereignty of Greece is called into question, and this will not change.

The Greek-French defense partnership establishes close cooperation between our armed forces for the benefit of our allies.

– During the presidency of the Council of the European Union, France worked to make progress on a European response to immigration, because this response should be common to 27 member states. We are determined to act on many fronts: first, by showing solidarity with measures that will ensure assistance to Member States on the receiving line, then by seeking closer cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and finally by better protecting our borders, with mandatory checks asylum seekers entering the Union.

In addition, and you are right, we have to deal with the phenomenon of countries like Belarus and Turkey trying to instrumentalize migration flows as a means of destabilizing the European Union. We are determined to take an absolutely firm stand against those who use human suffering as a political weapon.

– As you know, France stands for a sovereign Europe, for a Europe that protects its citizens, interests and values. During our presidency, Europe moved in this direction, and work continues under the Czech presidency. We are ready to tackle the ongoing energy crisis together by diversifying our sources of supply, reducing gas consumption in a coordinated manner and accelerating the transition to green technologies. You are right, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven up energy prices, which in turn has fueled inflation in all EU member states. Again, Europe is ready to act, in particular through a deep reform of the electricity market, as required by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

We are dealing with a country, Russia, which makes energy, food and information an integral weapon of its offensive strategy. We recognize that defending our values ​​and principles in wartime may come at a cost, but it deeply serves our interests. We also know that there is a risk that the war in Ukraine will drag on for a long time. In any case, we Europeans must preserve our greatest asset – unity. Therefore, we must remain in solidarity, for example, as we did in the past with Greece during the euro crisis.

Green energy is a priority

– It is difficult for me to comment on the decision of a private company. Generally speaking, we need to change course by reducing our energy dependency by developing renewable energy and nuclear power. I note that the development of RES and hydrogen should not create new dependencies. Therefore, we support as a priority clean energy produced in the European Union, and Greece is well positioned in this planning. Realism and pragmatism are required. This transition may take time, and it is impossible to ask all of Europe to stop using gas overnight. This is the justification for our strategy of diversifying our supplies in order to reduce our dependence on Russia as soon as possible.