Athens, 1 December 2023

Cross-party delegation from Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs meets with delegation from Parliament of Estonia

A delegation from the Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament comprising MP and Chairperson of the Committee Dora Bakoyannis, and MPs and members of the Committee Theodoros Roussopoulos, Anastasions Chatzivasileiou, Theodora Tzakri and Nadia Giannakopoulou met with a delegation from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Estonia, headed by its Chair Marko Mikhelson, in the framework of a two-day visit in Athens.

The two delegations had the opportunity to exchange views on the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and their multifaceted consequences, as well as the migration issue. They also discussed new fields of cooperation at parliamentary level, and also the issue of digitisation and cybersecurity.  

Mrs Dora Bakoyannis voiced her concern over the attitude of European voters at the upcoming European elections, taking into account high inflation, the increased migrant flows and the overall insecurity due to the developments in the wider neighbourhood of the EU, pointing out that a clear pro-European message needs to be conveyed in a concerted manner. The Greek MPs, focusing on the migration issue, stressed that there is a need for active solidarity between member states and that the fight against illegal human trafficking must be emphasised. Both sides underlined that the EU should show zero tolerance for the instrumentalisation of the migration issue by third countries as a means to exert pressure to attain various political goals. 

Mr Marko Mikhelson, after thanking the Hellenic Parliament for the hospitality, expressed his solidarity to the Ukrainian people, who, - as he said - are fighting not just for their own independence and territorial integrity, but for the whole of Europe. He then briefed the Greek delegation on the means of support Estonia has provided to Ukraine and praised Greece's stance, as the country has been actively supporting Ukraine from the outset. 

Lastly, the two committees agreed to further promote their cooperation at the bilateral level, but also in the framework of international organisations. 

 

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