Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, arriving at the Summit of the European Council (Brussels, 22 March), made the following statement:
I believe that Europe is at a crucial crossroads. We need to take decisions about our common future. We need to make reforms in the Eurozone. We need a strong and binding social pillar. We need a credible banking union to protect us all.
Particularly, nowadays, with difficult geopolitical developments, we need the EU to be a strong regional and international actor. This means, first of all, that all Member States are supported against violations by third countries. I suppose that today we will be discussing the cases of Turkey and Salisbury. I believe we should use all the available diplomatic means.
Journalist: In the Salisbury case are you in favor of a stronger disapproval? Greece the last time had objected.
PRIME MINISTER: I think we should express our support to the United Kingdom and the British people, but at the same time we need to explore the issue further and operate with great responsibility.
Journalist: Do you think the EU should revise its relations with Turkey?
PRIME MINISTER: I think we should be concerned about developments in the region, but I also think we need to be clear about the Turkish side in terms of their obligations. Especially in terms of their obligation to respect international law, but at the same time to keep the doors open for dialogue.
