“We had the opportunity with the Minister of Foreign Affairs to exchange thoughts on critical issues like the developments in Syria and the deteriorating humanitarian situation there and the influx of refugees the conflict  has created.”

In this context, he asked the foreign minister for Greece to intervene, in order to receive greater assistance from the EU to host, refugees coming from the neighboring country, which should be given the opportunity to be repatriated when the crisis in the region is resolved. ”

As stated by the Foreign Minister, the meeting was particularly useful, as it is important to know the positions of SYRIZA in matters of foreign policy, but also to provide the opposition the information needed.

Tsipras also expressed his concerns for the “clouds of war over Iran”, which he said affect “our country directly”, to the extent that the tightening of relations with Israel not only in terms of  know-how and trade, “which we fully accept and would like to promote, but also in terms of military cooperation which is something that concern us, because no way should our country become part of the problem in the Middle East, but part of an investigative solution”.

Avramopoulos and Tsipras both agreed on the need for the country’s foreign policy to be based on national understanding.

There are currently 80,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey, according to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Greek officials say they expect nearly 15,000 of them to try to enter Greece by the end of September. Greece recently stepped up its border patrols, transferring almost 1,900 border guards from other parts of the country to the northeastern region of Evros, which borders Turkey.

At the same time, local authorities on the islands of the northeastern Aegean are bracing for what is expected to be a growing wave of refugees from war-torn Syria, as measures to reduce the inflow of illegal immigrants via the Greek-Turkish border in the Evros region have put a greater strain on the porous coastlines of Greece’s islands, according to Kathimerini.

Local officials in the northeastern Aegean say that there has already been a significant increase in the number of refugees from Turkey. Their concern is that this wave will grow as the civil war in Syria escalates and that they are ill-equipped to deal with such a large influx.

According to Foreign Ministry, this is an important initiative, because the Foreign Ministers of the European Union countries that are closest to Egypt will have the opportunity to meet with Egypt’s political leadership and meet with the Secretary General of the Arab League. Meetings have been scheduled with the President of Egypt, Mohamed Mursi, Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamal Amr, and the Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil El-Araby.

“The Foreign Ministers will convey a message of EU solidarity with and support for the transition process that is under way in Egypt, as the Egyptian people make their way to democracy,” Foreign Ministry spokesman said. He added: “We think that the European Union needs to stand up and be counted in this transitional process and support this process – not in the sense of assistance, but in the sense of a self-evident investment it will make in an immediate and very important neighbour. We also believe that Egypt is a basic pillar of stability in the wider Middle East region and the Arab world, and that is why it is important for it to have the EU at its side every step of the way.”

In a statement earlier this year on Mursi’s election, Avramopoulos had welcomed the election of the first democratically elected Egypt, Mursi. “

Greece and Egypt are linked by historical ties. In the name of the security, peace and stability of our region, we will move ahead together, within the framework determined by international law, international agreements and the common interests of the two countries,” he added.

In discussions with Mr. Dimas the issue of Skopje fell on the table, where Mr. Rasmussen reiterated his firm position that the Alliance before joining the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in NATO should resolve the name issue. They also discussed the Greek contribution in Afghanistan, where Greece reiterated that although it will reduce its assistance to ISAF it will keep its trainers for the Afghan army according to tovima. The Minister of National Defence did not omit to discuss the Greek positions on the new NATO military structure, and to discuss with him the assistance of Greece in peacekeeping operations.

The NATO Secretary General, who also met with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, praised Greece’s participation in NATO operations, with special emphasis on Libya. For NATO, the way forward is Smart Defence Mr. Rasmussen emphasized; a key topic for study in view of the NATO Summit in Chicago in May. “I would expect the NATO Summit in Chicago to make important decisions on enhancement of our partnerships with countries in North Africa and the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring.” That would be in the interest of Greece, but it would also be in the interest of the whole of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic area, he added.

The Secretary General also addressed a conference organized by the Greek think-tank Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).In his speech, he referred to the difficult economic situation and the challenges to be faced by Greece,  while praising the historical contribution of Greece to NATO missions, and expressed confidence that Greece will continue to be active and present in them.