Athens, 9 March 2021

Members of Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs of Hellenic Parliament hold discussion with members of Foreign Affairs Committee of Spanish Chamber of Deputies

Turkey's threatening behaviour in the Southeast Mediterranean, solidarity between EU member states, the migration issue, addressing the pandemic, issues affecting the Mediterranean and Greece-Spain relations were the items of discussion between the members of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies. 

The joint meeting opened with an intervention by Pau Marí-Klose, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies, who referred to the good level of bilateral relations, the challenges that the EU is facing due to the pandemic and to the management of the Recovery Fund, the joint effort on issues of peace and democracy, the problems posed by instability in many countries with maritime borders in the Mediterranean basin in North Africa and Asia.

The Spanish MPs, members of the Chamber of Deputies' Foreign Affairs Committee, after emphasising the good relations between the two countries, referred to common challenges Greec and Spain face due to insularity. They focused on developments related to migration and the stance of some EU member states regarding burden sharing, while they expanded on the effects of climate change and underlined the need to make good use of the resources provided by the Recovery Fund for the digital transition in both countries.

The Greek MPs highlighted the issue of Turkish provocations and the need for a tangible show of solidarity by EU member states as a whole, in view of the upcoming EU Council. 

“It is the first time that we are witnessing such a profound crisis, in both time and intensity, with Turkey, which began with the instrumentalisation of the migration issue a year ago and culminated in the summer with the heightened provocative aggression and the threats of war. The policy of appeasement pursued by Europe has not paid off, the EU needs to show solidarity in practical terms towards two of its member states, which are being threatened by a candidate country” noted the Chairman of the Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs, Konstantinos Gioulekas. 

The instrumentalisation of the migration issue by Turkey and the problems Greece is facing because of that were the focus of the remarks made by the deputy chair of the Committee, Anastasios Dimoschakis. 

The rapporteur of New Democracy, Christos Dermentzopoulos noted that the EU was constructed to eliminate war and develop prosperity, values under threat by Turkey's aggressive action, while he referred to the common Greece-Spain position on adopting a European vaccination certificate which, he said, would facilitate the reopening of the two countries' tourism industries. 

The rapporteur of Syriza, Georgios Katrougalos, stressed the need for the EU to have a single voice and become autonomous from the US in diplomacy and defence and also characterised “as an interesting experiment the coalition government formed by progressive forces in Spain”,  stressing that progressive governance is a necessary prerequisite in the EU in order, as he said, to move away from the neoliberal economic model. 

The rapporteur of Movement for Change, Andreas Loverdos, referred in particular to the migration issue, asking the Spanish MPs not to support the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, since, as he stressed, it improves nothing and the EU member states will have to carry the burden. SYRIZA MP Theodora Tzakri was similarly critical of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Kostas Chitas, rapporteur of Greek Solution, referred to the conflict of interest of EU member states impeding a demonstration of solidarity towards Greece in the face of Turkish aggression, emphasising Spain's close contribution to Turkey's armaments programme. 

The rapporteur of DiEM25, Sofia Sakorafa, also referred to the issue of cooperation between Spain and Turkey in the defence sector. She was critical of the EU's economic policy towards SMEs facing serious difficulties due to the pandemic and put forward the proposal to write off their debts.

The Chairman of the Armaments Committee, Athanasios Davakis, welcomed the interest of the Spanish Shipbuilding Industry to participate in the armaments programme of the Hellenic Navy, which is, as he mentioned, an opportunity  to deepen cooperation in the defence industry, a necessary condition for the sector's development in the EU. Lastly, regarding Spain's reservations vis-à-vis EU sanctions against Turkey, Mr. Davakis noted that only joint coordinated European action can send a message to the neighbouring country.  

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