France will stand by Greece whenever its sovereignty is under threat, FM Colonna tells Dendias in Paris

France reiterated its position as an ally and friend that will stand by Greece before threats against its sovereignty, French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna said in Paris on Friday after meeting with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

Colonna, appointed after the recent national elections, said France would follow developments closely and assured Greece of its commitment.

In statements to the press after the two ministers met, she referred to the region of the Eastern Mediterranean as one of great interest to Greece and France but a part of tension as well.

The French minister said she would continue the collaboration Dendias had with her predecessor Jean-Yves Le Drian and spoke of the strategic relationship between the two countries that followed up on historical ties.

Colonna underlined the importance of a common EU stance before Russia after the invasion of Ukraine and noted the necessity of fighting misinformation generated by Moscow, "which seeks to make us forget the causes of the war." Russia alone is responsible for the economic and geopolitical repercussions of the invasion, she said, particularly in energy.

The two ministers also discussed energy security and European-wide decisions, which she said were in the right direction, especially in becoming less dependent on Russian natural gas imports.