Greece wants constructive relations with both Turkey and Turkish society, said Greece’s foreign minister on Wednesday.
Speaking alongside his visiting Slovenian counterpart Anze Logar, Nikos Dendias claimed that Turkey is escalating tension in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that Greece has no “punitive” attitude towards Turkey.
Dendias added that the EU should give a clear message to regional countries, particularly those aiming to join or seeking good relations with the European Union, that they must respect the fundamental rules of international law and the European acquis.
Turkey has officially been a candidate for EU membership since 1999. Amid its good faith efforts to follow the EU criteria, it has criticized moves by Athens and the Greek Cypriot administration to block the opening of accession chapters for political reasons.
On EU relations with the countries of the Western Balkans, Dendias reiterated that Greece supports the European perspective of Western Balkan states.
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