Russia ‘s war in Ukraine violates justice

LTV: Greece and Latvia have just celebrated the centenary of establishing diplomatic relations. What do you think are the main points of contact in our relations with countries, and where do they need to be further developed?

Katerina Sakellaropula: I am very happy to be in Latvia in connection with the celebration of the centenary of diplomatic relations between our countries. Our relationship is special. Not only because we are both members of the European Union and NATO and allies. We also have a great relationship in the international arena, always respecting democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Of course, our relations can be further improved in areas such as trade and tourism. Also in modern technology, cybersecurity. And I personally believe that we can further develop cooperation in education and culture.

While in Latvia, one of the main topics of conversation is security. As Russia continues its invasion and war in Ukraine, Greece has condemned it and supplied weapons to Ukraine. How does the war affect Greece, the security and stability of your region?

From the first day of Russia’s invasion, Greece has condemned the war. It is an invasion of an independent and sovereign state. We have provided humanitarian aid, delivered military equipment to Ukraine. We are also helping Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to flee their homes. So far, Greece has taken in 25,000 Ukrainian refugees. This war in Ukraine is blatantly violating all notions of justice, and international legitimacy is being dramatically distorted. And Putin’s revisionist behavior has much in common with Turkey’s behavior. The international community sees questioning international law, where we support international norms. We always support dialogue and the protection of national sovereignty. We must not accept such undemocratic behavior today.

Greece has been going through difficult economic times over the past decade, and the European economy has also been hit by a covid pandemic in the last few years. Has Greece managed to recover from these shocks?

Greece has indeed been subjected to decades of trials. The Greeks had to pay a high price for the economic crisis. We were resilient. Both our democracy and our society have stood the test. Thanks to the help of the European Union’s partners. In the end, we returned to a promising path, as indicated by the international markets. Then came the pandemic, which also affected the economy. Then the war in Ukraine. Energy crisis. Food crisis. A series of crises affecting Europe and the world.

Greece dealt effectively with the pandemic. The results were good, it also helped tourism. This boosted the confidence of people in other countries who chose to go to Greece, which in turn helped the economy. I hope that the end of the war in a sovereign and independent Ukraine will allow us to be more optimistic about the future.

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