ATHENS – “Greece is not participating in the war in any way. Our assistance to Cyprus is purely preventive in nature and absolutely necessary,” emphasized Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou in response to a question from Alexandros Kazamias, a member of parliament from the Course of Freedom party. His question was titled: “Why does the government not condemn violations of International Law in the U.S.–Israel attack against Iran and Lebanon, and why does it not rule out the use of American bases for U.S. military operations in the Middle East in order to safeguard the country’s national security?”
The deputy minister stressed that “the Greek government is following with due attention, responsibility, and seriousness the rapid developments in the Middle East. Our country’s position remains steady and clear, with Greece serving as a pillar of stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
She added that Greece consistently supports respect for International Law and the UN Charter and pursues a pragmatic foreign policy. In the framework of its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Greece faithfully follows the triptych: dialogue – diplomacy – democracy.
Greece, Papadopoulou made clear, “is not participating in the war in any way and has no intention of becoming involved.” She added that “our assistance to Cyprus is purely preventive and absolutely necessary given the threats the island has received.”
The deputy minister added: said “Greece’s absolute priority is the safety of Greek citizens and the return to Greece, as quickly as possible but above all safely, of those who wish to come back. At the same time, Greece is taking into account the safety and interests of Greek ships and their crews sailing in the region, as well as the protection of freedom of navigation, which is extremely important for the country.”
Papadopoulou said that Greece supports the diplomatic route and rapid de-escalation, positions also presented by Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis during the recent extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers.
Greece, she said, “acts as a reliable and honest interlocutor in the region,” maintaining close relations with Israel, with Arab countries, and with the United States. The aim is to promote stability and avoid a prolonged widening of the conflict that would have disastrous consequences.
In the context of the war itself, the deputy minister also pointed out that the accumulation by Iran of significant quantities of uranium enriched to 60 percent and the development of an extensive and advanced ballistic missile program had caused serious and justified concern in the international community, which has long called on Iran to comply with its international obligations arising from nuclear non-proliferation agreements.
From his side, Alexandros Kazamias said that today marks the seventh day of hostilities in the Middle East. He criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, saying that from the second day of the crisis he had made “restrained statements” about the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, speaking about the need for de-escalation and respect for international law. According to Kazamias, the prime minister’s statements are deliberately vague and do not clarify whether de-escalation also means ending and condemning the war.
Kazamias argued that the Israeli and U.S. attack on Iran has not been approved by the UN Security Council and is not supported by any serious decision consistent with International Law.
He also said the government should have decided to ban the use of American bases in Greece, especially the base at Souda, arguing that such a decision would protect both Greece and Cyprus.
Finally, the MP said that since the conflict is taking place in our region, Greece cannot remain merely a spectator but must take an active position and make the appropriate moves to stop the war. He questioned what “de-escalation” really means – “a little war or no war at all” – and asked why the war should not simply be stopped.