Greece, France, Egypt, Greek Cypriot administration tout 'excellent relations'

Greece, France, Egypt, and the Greek Cypriot administration hailed the “strategic nature” of their “excellent relations” after a quadripartite meeting on Friday.

Their foreign ministers met in Athens and released a joint statement vowing to work together to tackle the “multifaceted challenges affecting peace, stability and security” in the region.

“We referred to the excellent relations among our respective States, in full accordance with International Law and the Law of the Sea, and stressed the strategic nature of our relationship, which lays the solid foundations for advanced cooperation,” read the statement.

It said the four sides “discussed ways to enhance our cooperation and to continue to work together to achieve our common objectives in the different fields including energy, climate change, combating the COVID-19 pandemic and migration.”

They also reaffirmed “that priority should be given to the advancement of peace and stability, both regionally and globally, and to comprehensive economic development.”

Turkey has outstanding issues with Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration over maritime limits and rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

While seeking to defend its fair share of maritime territory in the region, Ankara has decried recent provocative Greek moves such as violating treaties and pacts by issuing navigational alerts, militarizing islands in the Aegean Sea, and illegally encroaching Turkey’s continental shelf.

Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.

Ankara has, however, repeatedly stressed that it is in favor of resolving all outstanding problems in the region – including maritime disputes – through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue, and negotiations.