Greek, Russian PMs stress cooperation

2021-03-24 17:35:47 GMT2021-03-25 01:35:47(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

ATHENS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Contemporary challenges and asymmetrical threats, such as terrorism, extremism and climate change, can only be tackled jointly, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a joint statement to the press with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin here on Wednesday.

Mishustin is in Greece to attend the events marking the 200th anniversary of the start of the Greek Revolution against Ottoman rule. Other dignitaries include Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Ahead of Thursday's military parade, Mishustin held talks with Mitsotakis on bilateral issues and cooperation on regional and international levels in many sectors, according to an e-mailed press statement issued by the Greek PM's office.

"Greece is a member state of the EU and NATO, and this is the basis of our foreign affairs policy, but we acknowledge that Russia is a significant factor in Europe's security architecture, which should be built on cooperative rather than competitive grounds with respect for common values," Mitsotakis said.

Greece takes into account Russia's commitment to the power of international law and the Law of the Sea, especially in the Mediterranean region, he added.

Russia celebrates along with Greece, Mishustin said, noting that Russia was among the nations that supported Greece's War of Independence.

Russia wants to strengthen its cooperation with Greece in many fields, like health and technology, he said.

Bilateral trade dropped by a third in 2020 and tourism flows between the two countries were severely affected by COVID-19, he noted, stressing that Russia and Greece continue to cooperate to address the repercussions of the pandemic on joint projects. 

| PRINT | RSS