Greece welcomes announcement regarding EU-India talks on maritime safety cooperation, sources say

The announcement regarding the EU-India talks on maritime cooperation underlines basic principles also advocated by Greece, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law and in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the sources underlined.

The statement stressed that the EU and India are committed to an order of things in the Indo-Pacific that is based on specific rules, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of navigation, unhindered trade and the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law, especially UNCLOS.

The same sources noted that this is identical with the positions that Greece supports and promotes, both within the European Union and in the Mediterranean region.

They added that India, a rising world power and member of the Security Council at this time, with which Greece has recently rekindled its relations, fully embraces these positions.

It is recalled that India had appealed to the International Court of Justice at The Hague to resolve the issue of the demarcation of its maritime zones with neighbouring Bangladesh.

Greece looks forward to developing relations with all countries that embrace the above fundamental principles, the sources said and noted that there is an invitation from the Indian foreign minister to his Greek counterpart to visit India as soon as possible. This visit is scheduled to take place next spring.