ATHENS, 18 February, 2021 (TON): Spokesman for the Greek Foreign Ministry, Alexandros Papaioannou said, the Philia Forum is not an alliance against a common threat, but rather a partnership that could act as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East.

Last week at the forum, the Greek FM hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Cyprus, the UAE, and Bahrain.

 In order to seek regional peace, stability, and prosperity, the seven-member countries issued a joint communiqué about the mutual objective and interest.

Papaioannou said his country remains a committed member of NATO and the EU, but this doesn’t exclude Greece from building partnerships in its immediate neighborhood. In the 1990s it was southeastern Europe and the Balkans, and during the last few years, it’s the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Gulf.

Denying the perception that Philia Forum would increase regional tensions, Greek FM said, “We want to build peace, stability, and prosperity, and to have a positive agenda. We want to instill some stability based on some rules, following the UN Charter, avoiding the use of force or the threat of use of force, respecting international law. We aren’t trying to create an alliance or a coalition. We want a positive agenda.”

It is observed that Turkey was not present at the forum considering the forum against it, for it is following an assertive policy in the eastern Mediterranean.