Greece supports Serbia's European perspective: president

Source:Xinhua Published: 2019/12/11 9:28:49

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (2nd L) welcomes Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (1st L) at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 10, 2019. Greece supports Serbia's European perspective, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)


 
 
Greece supports Serbia's European perspective, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday.

"We Greeks, Greece, support your (EU) accession process and I stress that this is not only because of our friendship, but because you rise up to meet the requirements of the European structure. We are here ... to help ...so that your steps towards accession will become faster," Pavlopoulos said in a joint statement broadcast on Greek national broadcaster ERT.


Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (R) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic meet the press at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 10, 2019. Greece supports Serbia's European perspective, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)


Referring to the recent Turkey-Libya memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea, Pavlopoulos accused Turkey of violating the international law of the sea and attempting to violate Greece's sovereign rights.

Turkey and Libya signed the MoU on Nov. 27. The Greek side has repeatedly said the MoU could infringe upon the sovereign rights of Greek islands in the Mediterranean.


Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (2nd R, front) welcomes Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 10, 2019. Greece supports Serbia's European perspective, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos told visiting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)


Vucic, on his part, thanked Greece for the support of Serbia' sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Serbia will always support Greece's territorial integrity. We have signed the (United Nations) Convention on the Law of the Sea and we will always support Greece's sovereignty and territorial integrity and our position will not change in the future. Regarding our European prospects we are grateful to Greece for the support provided," Vucic said.

During his visit to Athens, the Serbian leader was presented with the city's Gold Medal of Merit.



Posted in: EUROPE,WORLD FOCUS

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