Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias called on NATO to support dialogue with Russia, during a teleconference of the alliance’s Foreign Ministers on Friday, diplomatic sources said.
The diplomatic sources said that in his intervention, Dendias noted that Greece supports the dialogue and welcomes the NATO-Russia Council meeting convened on January 12 after a 2.5-year hiatus by the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Dendias called for a de-escalation of tension and time, and said that the dialogue should include a reiteration on the need to respect International Law.
“The basic principle is the condemnation of any violation of countries’ sovereign integrity, a principle that should be respected by NATO allies in all cases as well as by countries with a partnership agreement with NATO, especially Hungary, which calls for international solidarity,” he said.
Dendias also noted that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) could play a key role in reducing tension and in the efforts to control armaments.
According to a tweet on the ministry’s site, the focus of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting was state of security in Europe after developments in Ukraine and ahead of the January 12 meeting.
I participated, via videoconference, in the Extraordinary meeting of #NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs #ForMin focusing on the security situation in Europe, in light of developments regarding #Ukraine & in view of upcoming NATO-Russia Council. pic.twitter.com/ccv9JmrzZV
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) January 7, 2022
