By KYIV. Nov 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he expects to establish effective cooperation with Greece in terms of restoring Ukraine’s infrastructure after the end of the war.
"We are working with the Greek side in order to end the war, the Russian criminal aggression as soon as possible and return normal life to Ukraine … We will pay attention [during the upcoming conversation] to the issues of Ukraine’s recovery after the fighting. I hope that we will be able to establish effective cooperation with Greece in the field of reconstruction," Zelensky said at a briefing with the Greek president in Kyiv on Thursday.
According to Zelensky, during a meeting with his Greek counterpart, he discussed energy threats to Ukraine and EU countries due to Russia’s anti-European policy, as well as further opportunities for Greece to help Ukraine restore territorial integrity.
"It is important that the liberation of our entire land from the Russian occupiers will return security to those regions of Ukraine where the Greek community traditionally lives. Ukraine has become home to more than 100,000 Greeks, who live mainly in the eastern regions. Most of the towns and villages and houses of the Greek diaspora there have been destroyed by Russian terrorists. We must return justice to all the families of Ukrainian Greeks who lost their loved ones due to Russian aggression," the president said.
He also said that he expects Greece to take an active part in the creation of a Special International Tribunal for Crimes of Russian Aggression against Ukraine and a Special international compensation Mechanism and thanked the Greek side for sending Ukraine the first batch of MBP-1.
In turn, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said that Greece will provide support to Ukraine as much as necessary and will never recognize the illegal annexation of the regions of Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation.
"Our position remains unchanged: the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine must be restored and violence must stop. We will not be able to forget the barbarism that happened in Mariupol, because of which Ukrainian citizens suffered. There are many people of Greek origin among them. But we do not forget Kyiv, Odesa, Bucha, Kharkiv, and the whole tragedy of ordinary Ukrainians," she said.
"We condemn the Russian aggression, which hits the infrastructure of your state, as it pushes the country to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. We demand that Russia be held accountable," Sakellaropoulou added.
In addition, according to her, Greece supports absolutely all sanctions against Russia, supports Ukraine’s desire to join the EU and the provision of military assistance by NATO countries to Ukraine.
