‘Protective measures have been upgraded, Greece’s anti-ballistic and anti-aircraft shield has been installed and deployed, so Greek citizens can feel safe,’ he said.
He added that ‘the regime governing Souda is determined by the defence agreement between the US and Greece. What can take place inside the base is very specific,’ and said that ‘both our navy and our air force are in a position to effectively protect every Greek citizen’.
‘It is primarily about providing facilities to the US, so they are not open to aggressive actions. I want to assure you that all necessary measures have been taken, both on the American side and on the Greek side.’
The foreign minister also said that ‘the development of Greece’s defence forces both within Greek territory and in Cyprus is an issue that concerns the country’s sovereignty, it is non-negotiable, it is not open to discussion, not even to briefing’. His remarks on Souda, Greece’s defensive posture and the Cyprus deployment were also reported by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency and other Greek outlets.
‘Our defence arrangement was decided sovereignly,’ he said. ‘The deployment of the two frigates and the two pairs of fighter aircraft in Cyprus is a historic, fraternal duty towards Cyprus, and we are proud that we have these defence capabilities to provide this assistance, this purely defensive support.’
He added that ‘any targeting of Cyprus constitutes a threat to the whole of Europe and triggers a duty of solidarity towards Cyprus’, before saying that ‘in a state of war such as the one we are experiencing today, decisions taken for the protection and security of Greek citizens are not a matter for discussion’.
Referring to the repatriation of Greek citizens, Gerapetritis said: ‘We are working day and night at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is truly a superhuman effort.’
He said the ministry was trying to evacuate Greeks trapped in war zones under extremely difficult conditions, as well as Greek citizens stranded in countries across the wider region after connecting flights through Qatar or the United Arab Emirates were disrupted.
‘This is the most difficult exercise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has undertaken in decades with regard to the repatriation of Greeks,’ he said, adding that more than 200 Greek citizens had returned safely to Greece that day and that repatriation operations would continue in the coming days. Current reporting also states that Greece is continuing complex evacuation operations from the Middle East amid airspace disruptions.
‘The airspace of all these states is closed. It opens only piecemeal and on a case-by-case basis, so this is an extremely difficult operation. We are fully engaged and working for the good of Greek citizens.’
Gerapetritis also said Greece had no prior information about the attack on Iran. He noted that he had recently visited the White House and met the US secretary of state a few days before the attack.
‘I had an idea of the course of the discussions taking place in Geneva. I had an idea that these discussions were not making much progress, but of course I had neither a timetable for attacks nor the strategic plan of Israel and the US,’ he said.
He added that, from the American side, the primary objective was for Iran to come under ‘a framework of effective and beneficial control of its ballistic and nuclear programmes’.
As for Israel, he said that its aim was ‘to establish a framework that can provide security to the state of Israel. And not only with regard to Iran, but also Iran’s proxies, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, which constitute a constant potential threat to Israel.’
______________________________________________
Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.
Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.