Greece wants friendship and good neighbourliness with Turkey but it should be based on the latter’s respect of international treaties, Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos on Wednesday from the Dodecanese Islands.

Visiting the island of Nisyros on the occasion of the 70th anniversary since the integration of the Dodecanese to Greece, Pavlopoulos said that “Greece wishes the friendship and good neighbourly relations with Turkey and thus supports its (future) membership in the EU, but respect of the borders includes respect of all international laws, the Lausanne Treaty, the Treaty of Paris and the Law of the Sea.” This is the sole basis on which Greece can build its friendship with Turkey, he underlined.

After being named honorary citizen of Nisyros, Pavlopoulos noted among others that “any contestation of the borders, the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Greece comprises a contestation of the borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the European Union”.

Source: thegreekobserver