Greece's Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias commented on Sunday that Greeks understand what it means to be a refugee.
Dendias made the comments on his Twitter account on the occasion of World Refugee Day, adding that "Greece, one of the main receiving countries of refugees in the EU, proves in action that it respects the struggle of people forced by violence to abandon their homes.
Adding their voices to World Refugee Day were also Deputy Migration Minister Sofia Voultepsi and Foreign Affairs Alternate Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis.
Guarding the borders and reducing migrant flows are opportunities for Greece to "follow accession policies for vulnerable victims of armed conflicts," said Sofia Voultepsi.
Greece has experienced the plight of refugees, and respects international treaties as it also provides humanitarian assistance. It continues to do so, defending International Law and the state of law, added the Deputy Migration Minister.
"The guarding of borders and reduction of migration flows provide Greece with a unique opportunity to follow accession policies for vulnerable victims of armed conflicts," she said. Greece's Special Secretariat of Protection for Unaccompanied Minors "has become a model in Europe and shows the way to our future initiatives - with humanitarianism and the protection of everyone's rights being the sole criterion," she noted.
Foreign Affairs Alternate Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis also tweeted that "the best way to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Treaty is through practical support, solidarity, international collaboration and policies, so that our fellow human beings live with more security and dignity, without any discrimination."
Meanwhile Dendias is scheduled to attend the EU's Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg today, Monday 21 June where the Council will start with a discussion on Belarus. EU ministers will then discuss their views on Iraq and Latin America.
During a working lunch, EU foreign affairs ministers will have an informal exchange with the Foreign Minister of Iraq, Minister Fuad Hussein.
The Foreign Affairs Council will be chaired by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
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