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Greece has no intention of becoming involved in the ongoing war in the Gulf, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said Monday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, Gerapetritis said Athens supports diplomacy and adherence to international law.
“Greece has stood in principle in favor of the universal application of international law, respect for the rights of civilians and of course the return to diplomacy instead of war,” he said.
“It goes without saying that in these moments, which are extremely critical and the consequences may be extremely significant, not only geopolitically, but also economically and environmentally for the Mediterranean, Europe must rise to the occasion and assume a leading role,” he added.
Gerapetritis also stressed the importance of respecting international maritime law and ensuring the free movement of all ships.
Meanwhile, Germany reiterated Monday that the U.S. war on Iran is unrelated to NATO.
“It is not NATO’s war. NATO is a defensive alliance. The German government must also clearly assess the alliance’s territory and its own position on participation in this war,” government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told journalists in Berlin.
“The expansion of combat operations would bear great risks for other partners in the Middle East and Gulf region,” he added.
The German government has repeatedly said it would not participate in the U.S. war on Iran.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also warned Monday against uncontrolled military escalation in the Middle East amid rising tensions caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks.
“Uncontrolled military escalation is dangerous in the Near and Middle East. It must not divert us from Ukraine, where for four years the security and peace of the European continent have been at stake, in a context marked by the growing international isolation of Russia,” Barrot told reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
He reaffirmed France’s “great determination and resolve” to continue supporting Ukraine and maintaining pressure on Moscow.
Barrot also said sanctions were being expanded with nine new designations targeting individuals accused of involvement in the massacre in Ukraine’s Bucha in March 2022.
He added that four additional sanctions had been imposed against what he described as Kremlin propagandists.
Regional tensions have intensified since Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.
The strikes have killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
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