MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. As a member of the European Union and NATO Greece believes that the implementation of initiatives for addressing world issues, such as creation of an architecture of security, cannot proceed and succeed without Russia’s involvement, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told a news conference following talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
"Greece is a member of the European Union and NATO and it is obliged to honor its liabilities, but at the same time it believes that any edifice of security and any initiative for dealing with international issues cannot but involve Russia," he said.
In all such cases interaction with Russia must rely on a "sincere dialogue," Tsipras believes. He pointed out that he had expressed this idea many times at all international European forums he had attended in the capacity of Greek prime minister.
Proceeding from the "principles and values of cooperation and wider dialogue" between Russia and Greece Tsipras expressed the certainty that "Greece is capable of playing the decisive role as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the European Union and Russia and also the Arab world." He is certain that Greece is capable of "coping with the stabilizing role in the field of regional security and the challenges that concern the safety of fuel traffic to Europe."
Russian President Vladimir Putin told the news conference that Russia would adhere to the policy of enhancing cooperation with Greece along economic and cultural lines. He said such an attitude to Greece stemmed from the historical bonds and cultural similarity of the two counties’ peoples.