Foreign Minister of Greece Meets With Estonian Counterpart

Greece’s Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis highlighted the excellent level of relations between Greece and Estonia, following his meeting with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, in the country’s capital of Tallinn.

The Greek Foreign Minister underlined that both countries share several common characteristics, such as being coastal states, a factor that often complicates matters.

Gerapetritis went on to stress the need to further strengthen ties between the Balkan states and the Baltic countries. The goal, he said, is to form a common stance on foreign policy and security, as the challenges faced are shared.

“Despite our geographical distance, the challenges we face are common. Estonia is on NATO’s eastern flank, and Greece is on the southeastern,” Gerapetritis noted.

He underlined that, despite the geographical distance, Baltic and Balkan countries must deepen their relations and adopt a common stance on foreign and security policy, as the threats are common.

Commenting on the recent violations of Estonian airspace, the Greek foreign minister said the two countries faced similar acts of aggression. “Many times, we face similar forms of aggression. Global problems are becoming increasingly complex. We saw this at the UN General Assembly last week. It was a clear and provocative violation of Estonia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We must stand united against this kind of aggression.”

He also noted that Greece has experienced thousands of violations of its national airspace, which it has raised at every forum, including the European Union and the United Nations.

“We fully share Estonia’s concerns, especially in periods of aggression such as today. We join our voice with Estonia, Poland, and Romania and condemn violations of national sovereignty in all their forms.”

On maritime security, Gerapetritis stressed its strategic importance and recalled that Greece has made it a priority during its tenure at the UN Security Council.

“We must reaffirm our firm commitment to combating phenomena like Russia’s shadow fleet.” He added that it is crucial to end the wars and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to ensure global security, calling for stronger international cooperation.

Gerapetritis highlighted that Greece has added the “fourth sea” to the Three Seas Initiative, creating a unified European space that must be defended and promoted.