Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Dimas stressed that the legislative establishment of the right of Greeks living abroad to participate in the national elections is a priority of the New Democracy party in an interview with the Greek-American newspaper The National Herald.
Dimas also referred to the fact that Greece must re-evaluate its foreign policy on financial issues, pointing out that bilateral relations with the US have been neglected in certain sectors.
The Greek Foreign Minister noted that “there are very few American investments in Greece; much less than the amount of Greek investments in the U.S. There are fewer U.S. tourists visiting Greece than Austrians. We have a responsibility to revive our ties. This will be in the best interests of both Greece and the U.S.” Dimas also noted that the crucial work being done in the Ministry has been limited due to budget cuts and that “this has to change.”
He remarked that the deepening of bilateral relations between Greece and Israel is a “natural development,” because two countries sharing mutual interests should have closers bonds.
The Minister also referred to Turkey’s economic reforms and called on Greece’s neighboring country to complete the internal reforms on the political level as well.
“Erdogan’s government has made a constitutional revision one of its highest priorities. These reforms are crucial in the framework of Turkey becoming an EU member, a process that remains stagnant. Apart from the political problems and Turkey’s position regarding the Cypriot issue, one of the basic factors of that stagnation is the delay in implementing reforms. We shouldn’t forget that,” continued Dimas, emphasizing that Greece wishes to improve relations with Turkey.
“We believe that it would benefit both countries, on the grounds that it occurred with respect to the International Law and national sovereignty. Investments, tourism and commerce are some of the fields where we’ve already seen positive results,” explained the Greek Minister regarding the bilateral relations of Greece and Turkey, stressing that history has shown aggressive policies have been destructive for the people of the region. “We believe in equality-based, mutually benefitting cooperation. That should be the principle,” he concluded.
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