Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias stressed during the welcoming remarks of the Athens Retreat on Syria on Friday that the international community must aim at safeguarding Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity.

The war in Syria "has become the epicenter of a serious humanitarian crisis and of illegal military interventions by third parties, against international laws, while we have also witnessed the rise of terrorist and criminal networks," Dendias said.

The worsening of relations with Russia has highlighted the significance of Arab countries in Europe's energy and food security. As a result, our collaboration with regional players has become a significant priority for Greece, but also, we believe, for the European Union as well.

Dendias also pointed out that as Syria lies in its immediate neighbourhood, the EU carries a particular obligation in terms of stability in the middle East, while "Greece is determined to play a leading role in further initiatives to promote collaboration between the European Union and the Arab world," sharing in the common goal of peace in Syria.

The Athens Retreat on Syria is organised by the European Union, with the assistance of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will be attended, inter alia, by EU Member States' Special Representatives for Syria.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/04/22/dendias-syria-eu-arab-collab/