The issue of the strengthening of their arsenal by countries threatening NATO allies, and the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures were the two main issues raised by Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis during his meeting with his British counterpart Yvette Cooper on Thursday.

“I would like to underline that in the context of our alliance, we believe it is necessary that any defense agreements concluded with third countries must include the self-evident obligation that armaments are not used against allied nations,” Gerapetritis noted in stsatements after meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Cooper.

Parthenon Marbles

The Greek FM said issues related to tourism and culture were also discussed. “Especially on the issue of cooperation in cultural matters, I would like to return to a long-standing and fair request Greece has for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. It is a unique global request that reflects the monument’s universality. We look forward to working with the government of the United Kingdom on this major issue,” he explained.

The Greek minsiter also pointed out that Cooper’s visit was the first visit by a UK foreign secretary in 8 years, while he noted that Greece and the UK share a long-standing friendship and economic ties. Other issues the two foreign ministers discussed included deepening European Union-UK relations, Ukraine, the Middle East and Gaza, the Eastern Mediterranean, NATO, and the Cyprus issue.

Gerapetritis emphasized the issues plaguing the region, like “terrorism, maritime safety, climate change, and migration” and said that for migration in particular, there should be a wider cooperation among countries to manage human trafficking and the returns of illegal migrants.

FM Cooper

On her side, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Yvette Cooper referred to the deep and historic ties of both nations and said her visit is proof of her country’s appreciation of its cooperation with Greece. There are common interests in several sectors, she noted, including the migration issue and Ukraine. She also expressed the UK’s strong support to the people of Ukraine “against Russian aggression”, calling for more pressure on Russia to ensure a just peace with sovereign Ukraine.

Cooper accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of wanting to escalate the war, and pointed out that it was important to progress on the issue of “mobilizing assets” of Russia to pressure Moscow to come to the table for peace talks. Cooper also said that the British government had taken steps toward using the funds from the sale of Chelsea FC for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

In Gaza, progress must be achieved and corridors opened for humanitairan aid, while she also emphasized the need to manage illegal migration and criminal activities related to it. Greece has achieved progress in reducing illegal entry, the foreign secreatary said, and described the cooperation with Greece on the issue as very important for Britain.