Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias held a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Sochi, Russia, with the purpose of restoring and improving relations.
Speaking at their joint press conference on Monday, Dendias shared his optimism that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be able to visit Russia in 2021. “It is the desire of the Greek government to restore relations between the Union and Russia to what it was in the past, and not to deteriorate further,” he said. “We believe Russia is an integral part of the security structure of Europe and has an important role to play in countering regional and international challenges.”
Dendias noted the importance of maintaining open communication between Russia and the EU, in an effort to “return to an atmosphere of mutual respect, normalization, and following that, at a later time, a strengthening of EU-Russian ties". Dendias said that this is the message Mitsotakis will bring to his EU counterparts.
“This year, we mark the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution and would like to once again express our gratitude for Russia’s special contribution to the liberation of our homeland, to our country’s struggle for independence,” he said.
On his side, Lavrov discussed the long bonds that connect Greece and Russia, going as far back as 1827 and Russian intervention in the Greek War of Independence. Lavrov stated that cooperation between the two countries continues to gradually improve.
“Today we examined the progress of applying the deals achieved by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as the decisions discussed during the meeting of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, on March 24 and their telephone conversation on May 5,” he said.
