FM Droutsas on issue of Italian ship ‘Explora’

Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, referring to the Italian exploration ship ‘Explora’ which had requested permission from the Greek and Turkish sides to proceed with works in the Greek continental shelf/exclusive economic zone, said that “the moves that the Greek side has done are directed at anyone disputing or attempting to dispute the Greek sovereign rights. There were strong protest demarches to both the Italian side and Turkey from the very first momenrt that the harassment of the Italian vessel by a Turkish warship had taken place.”

He added in an interview with the “Radio 9” station that “what is most important in this case is that the Greek sovereign rights have been safeguarded in full, there is not even a scratch.”

He also pointed out that “our weapon is the International Law, the Law of the Sea, that consolidates the Greek rights and Turkey is trying to get out of this ‘narrow corset’ of the Law of the Sea.”