Briefing of diplomatic correspondents by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lana Zochiou (05.11.2025)

L. ZOCHIOU: Good day. I will begin with the most recent developments, namely the meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of the United States of America to Greece, Ms. Guilfoyle, following the presentation of her credentials to the President of the Hellenic Republic. During the courtesy meeting, both sides reaffirmed the excellent level of Greece - U.S. relations, which, over the past years, have reached their highest point in history through the Strategic Partnership. It has now been firmly established that Greece is a reliable ally, with a strategic and stabilizing role in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Discussions focused, beyond bilateral issues, on preparations for the 6th Round of the Greece - U.S. Strategic Dialogue, which will take place in Athens. Both sides also confirmed their shared commitment to further consolidate Greece's role as an energy hub in the wider region.

Allow me to mention the geopolitical dimension of energy, both as an instrument of economic prosperity and as a means of fostering peace. Energy and national security are inextricably linked. Therefore, in light of global geopolitical developments, we are promoting Greece's pivotal role in political, economic, and energy developments in the region.

As you may have noticed, there has been an increased frequency of visits by U.S. officials in recent weeks. The U.S. Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior and Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, as well as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Mr. Michael Rigas, will be visiting our country.

Mr. Rigas will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Friday, November 7, here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs had also met with Mr. Rigas during her visit to Washington DC last September. They held a very constructive discussion, both on bilateral relations and on regional developments, with particular emphasis on the state of the Christian populations in the Middle East, given that Mr. Rigas is also responsible for issues pertaining to religious freedoms.

Concluding the U.S. related chapter, allow me to refer to the Minister's recent visits to Iraq and Bahrain, on October 30 and November 1, respectively.

During his meetings in Iraq with the President of the Republic and the Speaker of the Parliament, mutual respect between the two countries, both of which represent ancient civilizations, was reaffirmed, as was the common will to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, investment, and the provision by Greece of expertise in tourism and culture.

In his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the launch of a direct air connection between Greece and Baghdad, commencing in December. The significance of this development is underscored by the fact that it marks the first direct air link between Baghdad and an EU Member State.

In Bahrain, over the following two days, the Minister participated in the Manama Dialogue - an international forum on foreign policy, defence and diplomacy - where he addressed a panel on Gulf security and referred to Greece's role in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. On the margins of the forum, the Minister held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Bahrain, Jordan, and the United Kingdom.

Allow me to focus on the United Kingdom and the bilateral meeting between the Minister and his British counterpart, Ms. Yvette Cooper. Discussions focused on bilateral relations and regional developments, with particular reference to defence issues and EU - UK relations.

Regarding the Eurofighter case, Greece does not impose procurement policies on third countries. Nevertheless, it articulates its positions and arguments clearly to both allies and partners. The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed Greece's concern over the said decision of the United Kingdom, underlining that it is self-evident that we expect allied countries to be mindful of the sensitivities of their allies. Deputy Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou also moved along the same lines during her meeting with the United Kingdom's Minister of State, Mr. Doughty, which took place on November 3 in Athens, in the context of the third annual review of the Greece - United Kingdom Strategic Bilateral Framework.

During this period, we have also had significant announcements from the Prime Minister regarding the multilateral 5x5 scheme. On October 16, the briefing of the Parliament regarding foreign policy issues took place. In his address, the Prime Minister announced, among other things, the Greek initiative to convene a meeting of the coastal states of the Eastern Mediterranean. As you know, this proposal, the 5x5 multilateral scheme, includes five countries and five thematic areas. The countries concerned are Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, Egypt, Türkiye, and Libya. The thematic areas include migration, protection of the marine environment, combating illegal fishing, and the delimitation of maritime zones.

Greece shares common maritime borders with these four countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as common challenges. A prosperous Eastern Mediterranean is to everyone's benefit. Greece acts and aspires to transform the Eastern Mediterranean from a field of antagonism and tension into a sea of peaceful coexistence, security, and prosperity.

There is, of course, a self-evident prerequisite for the operation of this scheme: respect for International Law, including the International Law of the Sea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has undertaken to explore the feasibility and prospects of such a scheme. As we all understand, this initiative is still at an early preparatory stage. It is a complex undertaking, given that the parties involved are states with longstanding issues and differences. The next steps therefore require careful planning and a gradual process of confidence-building.

As regards Sinai, within a very short period we have witnessed the ordination and enthronement of the new Hegumen of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, Mr. Symeon. The Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the ordination of the new Hegumen, which took place in Jerusalem on October 19. A few days later, on October 31, the enthronement ceremony was held at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, in the presence of the Prime Minister. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, was also in attendance.

I would like to underline the decisive contribution of the Greek State both in restoring normalcy within the Monastery and, secondly, with regard to the issue that has arisen concerning the Monastery's status, I would like to reiterate that relevant consultations are ongoing. A preliminary common understanding has been reached between the Greek and Egyptian sides. Pursuant to this common understanding, the Greek Orthodox character of the Monastery and its status as a place of worship are safeguarded in perpetuity. Naturally, the outcome of this common understanding, following the enthronement of the new Hegumen, will be submitted to the Holy Sinai Community at the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, which will have the final say.

I would also like to refer to the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Berlin Process Summit on the Western Balkans, held in London, against the backdrop of the recent developments concerning the 2025 Enlargement Package. The Minister reiterated Greece's support for the European integration perspective of the Western Balkans. The integration of the Western Balkans into the European family must proceed with full respect for the EU acquis, International Law, the principles of democracy, and the rule of law. Of course, in order for the accession process to be credible, it must be based on the principle of own merits, as well as on good neighborly relations and regional cooperation. The Minister emphasized that it is necessary to provide the peoples of the Western Balkans with a vision, in order to accelerate this process that began 22 years ago with the Thessaloniki Agenda, following a Greek initiative.

I will conclude with the schedule of the Minister and the Deputy Ministers.

Tomorrow, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms. Kallas. Statements to the Press will follow.

Prior to the meeting with Ms. Kallas, the Minister will meet with the new leadership of the Greek-American organization AHEPA. On Friday, November 7, he will meet with the United States Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Michael Rigas.

On November 12, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will participate in the 3rd Intergovernmental Summit Greece - Cyprus, which will be held in Athens.

As for the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Alexandra Papadopoulou, as the schedule currently stands, she will participate, along with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Harry Theoharis, in the seventh round of Interministerial Consultations under the Greece - Germany Action Plan in Berlin. Next week, the Deputy Minister will also meet with the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Southern Neighborhood.

Regarding Deputy Minister Harry Theoharis, from November 12 to 14 he will be in Poland, where he will head the Greek business delegation participating in the 5th International Exhibition and Conference "Rebuild Ukraine."

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Loverdos, will be in Limassol on November 10, where he will participate in the trilateral meeting between Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt on Diaspora issues. Thank you.

K. FRYSSA: Katerina Fryssa, from ERT. I wanted to ask for a first comment by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Commission's Report on Türkiye.

L. ZOCHIOU: I do not have much to say regarding the report, it is still being studied. The report accurately reflects the situation. Many of the Greek positions have been taken into consideration. Our position on Türkiye's accession to the European Union has not changed. We are in favor of Türkiye's European perspective, provided that it meets the criteria.

TH. BALODIMAS: Thanasis Balodimas, from "Rizospastis" newspaper. Based on what you told us, there has not been any exploratory contact on the 5x5 initiative? Or has there been one that was not received warmly? If you could kindly clarify this. Furthermore, some information on a date for the 6th round of the Strategic Dialogue. Will it happen shortly, by the end of the year or later, in January? Is it true that Rubio is expected here towards the end of the month?

L. ZOCHIOU: Regarding the 5x5 initiative, informal briefings have begun, they have not been completed. They have not yet been held with all parties, we are still in a preliminary stage. Further information will be available in the near future. In fact, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be answering a question in Parliament on Monday on this specific issue. I have nothing further to add.

Regarding Mr. Rubio: If he visits, it will be in the context of the 6th round of the Strategic Dialogue, therefore I do not have a date for that, as it has not been finalized. It is, in any case, something that both sides are working on and, as I mentioned, the issue was discussed yesterday during the meeting with the new American Ambassador. The issue will also be discussed on Friday with Mr. Rigas.

N. STAVROULAKIS: Nikos Stavroulakis, from "Demokratia" newspaper. Ankara is taking an issue with the Greek-American cooperation and with the visits of U.S. government officials, protesting encirclement on the energy front. Do you have any comment on that?

L. ZOCHIOU: I think I was clear during my opening remarks on the role that energy plays and on its geopolitical dimension. You are raising two issues. One is energy itself as a tool for peace and economic prosperity. As a tool that essentially covers the triptych: energy diversification, energy resilience, and energy security. This provides regional stability and prosperity. As for the second point, I do not comment on statements by the Turkish side, that is not my role. The level of Greek-US relations, which I have already described, is not something that came up in 2025, it has been worked on and cultivated the last few years.

P. MICHOS: Good morning, Panagiotis Michos from "To Manifesto" newspaper. Has Minister Gerapetritis met or spoken by phone with Massad Boulos and when? Did the communication take place before or after the announcement regarding the multilateral scheme? Because we heard that they have spoken twice.

L. ZOCHIOU: I do not know this, Mr. Michos. I will get back to you.

X. MAKRI: Chryssa Makri, from "Parapolitika" newspaper. You said that concern was expressed to the United Kingdom regarding the Eurofighter case. How was this concern expressed? Was there any contact? Are we expecting any change of stance from our EU partners in relation to this?

L. ZOCHIOU: There was a bilateral meeting between the Foreign Minister and his British counterpart, on the sidelines of the "Manama Dialogue" Forum in Bahrain.

H. MAKRI: Oh, indeed, yes, right. And a second question about the Mount Sinai. What is the state of play regarding the settlement of the remaining issues of the Monastery? You mentioned we are awaiting the final decision on the ownership, which, as you said, will be put to the Sinai community.

L. ZOCHIOU: Correct. Announcements will be made when there are developments on this.

H. MAKRI: Do we expect something, some change of attitude from our partners regarding the Eurofighter case, does the Greek side expect something?

L. ZOCHIOU: Change of attitude regarding what?

H. MAKRI: Regarding the attitude towards Türkiye and the sale. Concern was expressed but do we expect something?

L. ZOCHIOU: We expressed our concern bilaterally. This is an issue at a bilateral level at the moment. Obviously, we raise all concerns at a European Union level as well.

K. MELISSOPOULOS: Kostas Melissopoulos, from the Athens News Agency and "Vradini" newspaper. I would like to ask if you have any comment, as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the latest statements by Mr. Fidan, who, for the first time, at least as far as I know, left room for talks that are productive, without making these inflexible and maximalist demands. Do you consider this to be an attitude with an eye towards Europe, as he finds himself in a position of wanting to overcome obstacles regarding the SAFE mechanism? Does he have a motivation of this kind? Or do you think that there is a real possibility of a more substantial channel of communication opening this time towards finding a solution?

L. ZOCHIOU: Are you referring to the interview?

K. MELISSOPOULOS: To Mr. Fidan's statements on "they say ten, we say six, based on international law we can discuss, find a solution". It is the first time that he has put international law on the table and for consideration, because until now we were the only ones to do that.

L. ZOCHIOU: You know that with Türkiye we have only one outstanding difference, namely the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf. Greece is a sovereign state and the expansion of territorial waters is an inalienable Greek right that derives from international law. Hence, issues of sovereignty cannot be a matter of discussion. This was also made clear during the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs with his counterpart, Mr. Fidan, on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

S. RISTOVSKA: Sania Ristovska, MIA Agency. Madam Spokesperson, you also mentioned the Berlin Process Summit. After the Summit, the Minister also spoke about some initiatives on the Balkans. Is there anything specific that you can tell us on this, some specific initiatives? And a second part. The Minister of Foreign Affairs had a meeting with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia. One of the photos has been posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X. Do you have any details on what they discussed?

L. ZOCHIOU: Regarding these initiatives for the Western Balkans, you will kindly allow me to get back to you. As for the meeting on the sidelines of the Berlin Process Summit, it was held in a very good atmosphere, the Minister referred to the visit of his counterpart here, in July 2025, and to the issues of deepening cooperation in the fields of trade and investment. I think I will stop here on this point. The meeting was very short.

D. KRIKELAS: Dimitris Krikelas from Flash.gr and Flash TV. I would like to turn our attention to Gaza for a moment. I would like the Foreign Ministry's assessment of the situation. It seems we are still in the first phase. If I'm not mistaken, Israel has intervened militarily on two occasions. There have also been official statements from Ankara. I would like the Ministry's assessment of how it sees this situation developing in the coming period, given that, at least so far, the hostages have not returned, and whether this ceasefire is ultimately more fragile than we might imagine.

L. ZOCHIOU: Regarding Gaza, the main goal is to maintain the ceasefire. It is an important achievement, which will essentially be consolidated through the stabilization of the situation. Therefore, we must bear in mind that the first phase needs to be completed and respected in order to move on to the next stages.

Greece seeks to be actively present in Gaza's future, both in the humanitarian sector and in the fields of reconstruction and rebuilding. What we are aiming for is to increase humanitarian aid and, of course, to participate in development initiatives in Gaza. This was also the message conveyed by Greece, through the Prime Minister, at the Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

This was also the message conveyed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to his Palestinian counterpart during her visit to Athens, where he reiterated Greece's long-standing position on the need and great importance of strengthening the Palestinian Authority, which must play a strong role in the future and in all aspects of the plan's implementation.

And this was the message the Minister of Foreign Affairs conveys within the framework of the European Union to our European partners and at the Security Council, as well as in discussions with his counterparts from the Arab world: Greece, as an honest interlocutor, will have an active presence in the period ahead. As you also see, the situation is fragile and the stage is still early. So, at this point, the pressing need is to maintain the ceasefire. And then, from our side, once we have a clearer picture, there will be commitments for our next steps. One point that must be mentioned here, and is very important, is that Greece will also be present in the deliberations at the Security Council. I mention this because, for any decision concerning Gaza, the UN must play a strong role and provide legitimacy to what will follow.

M. MOURELATOU: Maria Mourelatou, from "Ta Nea". I would like to ask two things. First, while exploratory talks for the 5x5 forum are ongoing, whether bilateral discussions on delimitation issues will also be held at the same time with countries with which we are already in discussions, such as Egypt, with which we have a partial agreement, Libya, with which we are seeking an agreement, Türkiye and Cyprus. And second, whether the meeting with the German Foreign Minister, which was postponed because of Sharm el-Sheikh, will be rescheduled and when.

L. ZOCHIOU: They are not exploratory; in fact, they have not started yet. It is on another level. We are still in the preliminary stage of informal briefings. This multilateral format does not in any way replace the technical discussions that have begun with Libya and are set to continue. We have said that the next round will take place in Tripoli and that remains the plan. It has not been finalized yet. It was planned for the autumn and we are waiting for the date. However, the goal is for the next round to take place in Tripoli as scheduled.

Regarding the German Foreign Minister, there is nothing new. It's purely a matter of scheduling of the two Foreign Ministers.

P. MICHOS: On October 31, "Manifesto" newspaper wrote about the upcoming visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Athens in mid-November, definitely after Rebuild Ukraine. First, does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirm this? And a question about Sinai. According to highly reliable information, there is a ten-point document between the two sides that does not recognize any ownership rights for the Monastery, only usage. If this is confirmed, it would mean an outcome entirely opposed to the February arrangement and generally to the good relations between the two sides. What is true?

N. STAVROULAKIS: May I comment on this? The entire issue arose from a ruling of an Egyptian court. I believe that its annulment can only come from another Egyptian court. Therefore, regarding this document which has circulated, no matter how many points it has, what does it contain, how will it be implemented?

L. ZOCHIOU: As for the visit of the President of Ukraine: I am aware that he will be in Greece, but I do not have information about the exact date. There will, of course, be announcements from the Government Spokesperson on that. Regarding the document, I cannot comment on that, as you understand. As I mentioned in my introduction, consultations are ongoing. The final say belongs to the Sinai Community, so I would not wish to comment further at this stage.

Mr. ALATZAS: Kostas Alatzas, from "Action 24" and "Efimerida ton Syntakton". In the report on Türkiye's progress regarding its European perspective, there is a clear reference stating that the issue of delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ remains unresolved. In your view, Madam Spokesperson, is this merely an observation or a suggestion by the EU for the issue to be resolved? How do you interpret this reference as phrased in the report?

L. ZOCHIOU: This is not something new. It is something that, if I'm not mistaken, appears in the report every year. Therefore, this is not something new, it is a reality. As I mentioned earlier and in my previous answer, there is indeed one and only one dispute with Türkiye, the delimitation of the EEZ and the continental shelf.

TH. BALODIMAS: A clarifying question on what you said about the technical talks with Libya: why is there such a delay?

L. ZOCHIOU: The pace of diplomacy is not the same as the pace we might wish for in order to see something move faster. There are many aspects and many parameters under consideration. Therefore, I would not say there is a delay.

M. MOURELATOU: Maria Mourelatou, from "Ta Nea". I remember that in New York there were two trilateral meetings on the sidelines. If I am not mistaken, one with Syria and the other with Jordan about which we were informed at the time that follow-up meetings would take place in Nicosia. Is there a timeframe for these?

L. ZOCHIIOU: Announcements will be made soon for the one with Jordan. As for Syria, I do not have any information yet.

Thank you very much. Have a good day.

November 6, 2025