Macron/Mitsotakis: Cooperation on EU Defense Action v. Turkish Tension in Cyprus' Energy rich EEZ ?

*Strasbourg(France)/Angelo Marcopolo/- What Joint EU Actions in Defense might Trigger France and Greece in Cooperation, to Face with Vigilence and Solidarity a Turkey-rised Tension in Energy-Rich EU Member Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone, that French President Macron vowed that EU and France will Face withOut Any Weakness, as he stressed during his 1st Official Meeting with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, earlier Today, at Elysée Palace in Paris ?

More should be known only After forthcoming parallel key Meetings of the 2 Leaders, also with other Key Players, as German Chancellor Angie Merkel and, particularly, with USA President Don Trump, that Macron would see at the forthcoming G7 Summit hosted by France in Biarritz the coming Week-End, while Mitsotakis would visit soon Berlin and Washington, (See Infra).

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It's, Symbolically and Practically, from a pro-European Leader in France that Started, (after the Traditional National/Cultural Visit to Sister Neighbour Country Cyprus), the New Greek Prime Minister's planned Big Powers' tour, from Paris to Berlin and later Washington DC, etc.

In the Wider Context of a Joint Will to drastically Enhance Europe's foreseable Future, particularly in €uroZone, concerning Economy, Migration, Climate, and other Core Issues, French President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Focused particularly on EU Defense/Security policy Projects, (before Strolling around the Eiffel Tower's Garden, under Discreet Security protection themselves).

Mitsotakis' visit at Elysée was Flanked by 2 Other Prime Ministers' visits, Earlier that of UK' Boris Johnson, and Afterwards that of India's Narendra Modi, as Macro was putting the Last Touch in the Preparations of the "G7" Summit at its Eve. According to an Historic moto,  between the UK and India lies ...Cyprus, (as unique Mediterranean Island facing Suez Channel), and authoritative "Bloomberg" Press Agency had Warned that "Energy" would be among the important Issues due to be Discussed in that G7 Summit, so that the Fate of the Recently Growing (Ecological) Gas Findings in the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where Turkey notoriously Bullies Cyprus nowadays, might be also Discussed there, considering also the Fact that Italy, France and USA and Italy have their Big Oil/Gas Companies involved on the spot, (f.ex.: ENI, TOTAL, EXXONMOBIL and NOBLE ENERGY, etc).

Speaking Earlier to "Figaro", the Greek Prime Minister had just observed, (on the Occasion also of the Recent involvement of France's TOTAL and USA's EXXON-MOBIL around Creta Island, initiated at the 1st Quadrilateral Energy Ministerial Summit between USA, Greece, Cyprus and Israel on 7 August 2019 in Athens : See: ..., etc), that the presence of Energy Companies from Big Countries in Eastern Mediterranean, can operate as a "Protective Shield".

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- French President Macron was more Straightforward : Just After announcing that Today's Franco-Greek Summit was due to Deal also with "the Need to Strengthen the European Defense", he observed that "Greece faces a rise of Tensions in Eastern Mediterranean" Sea.

=> Therefore, Macron stressed that, "in this regard, I want to Confim here all my Vigilance and my Solidarity, on this Issue".

- And he made it Clear that this concerns, "particularly", "the activities (WarShips and provocative Drilling) of Turkey inside the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus".

>>> Indeed, - "the European Union and France will Not show Any Weakness on this matter !", the French President Wowed, with an exceptionaly Hard Look in his eyes, (probably Indignated by the latest Turkish threats and/or provocations: Comp. Infra).

=> - For that purpose, Macron announced that he'd discuss with Mitsotakis "also the Additional Cooperations that we can undertake on this issue".

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Well informed Greek Diplomatic Sources, speaking to "Eurofora" after that Elysee meeting, for which they expressed their Satisfaction particularly on Macron's Declarations about Cyprus (Comp. Supra), were Tight-Lipped about these Franco-Greek Discussions on Cooperation in Defense, and referred to a subsequent Statement by Mitsotakis that a Final Appraisal would be made After the Completion of his imminent tour also to Berlin and Washington, (significantly evoking Big Partners that Macron, as the current "G7" Chairman, is due to Host at Biarritz's Summit during the Next Few Days, (August 24 - 26), as Angie Merkel and Don Trump, etc.

- But, Mitsotakis, already spoke, at the Elysée's Press Conference with Macron, about developing eventual "EU Joint Defense Actions", without specifying, (Comp. Infra), and Afterwards told Journalists that "Europe will not leave Cyprus without Protection".

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+ Mitsotakis :  1821 - 2021

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 - "Greek People don't Forget : Our Relations (with France) stem from Many Centuries ago : This is Reminded also by the Year 2021, which approaches, with (the Celebration of the Anniversary of) 200 Years since the Greek Revolution" (of 1821), which Liberated the present part of Greece, (the 1st area of the former Turkish Ottoman Empire to become an Independent State), from almost 400 Years of Turkish Othoman Military Invasion/Occupation, since the over-Millenary Greek-Byzantine Empire's (330 - 1453) Capital, Constantinopolis' bloody Fall back on 1453. The Greek struggle for Independence (Accompagnies also by Other South-Eastern European Countries' Parallel similar Emancipation struggles in the Balkans), continued up to 1921, (when the Greek Army, then led by Danish-German origin Greek King Konstantinos, had succeeded to arrive 40 km from Ankara, after Liberating the Ancient City of Smyrne, before an U-Turn in Global 1st World War Policies, added to Internal Divisions, let Attaturk to Take Back an anachronistic Remnant of the Collapsing former Turkish-Ottoman Empire, which became nowadays Turkey on 1923). The landmark International Treaty of Sevres, signed on 1920, near Paris, by the most Brillant European and American Politicians, Victorious of the 1st World War, is another Historic Cornerstone of that Double Anniversary expected on 2020-2021.

- "There also, France's Support was Decisive. So that, our Common Past shows us the Way ahead for the Future", Mitsotakis characteristicaly pointed out Today at Elysée Palace in Paris, Smiling.

Navarino, Greater Europe v. Turkey, Victorious Naval Battle, in Greece's Aegean SeaPort of Pylos. 

Indeed, it's around 1827 that the Historic Naval Battle of Navarino (in the Aegean SeaPort of Greece's Nowadays Pylos, at Eastern Peloponnese peninsula's Coasts) a landmark Coalition similar to De Gaule's "Greater Europe", formed by French, English and Russian Ships, succeeded to Win against a Turkish Ottoman Empire's armada, backed by some North-Eastern Africa's forces. The move was closely Followed by a French Army Expedition inside Peloponnese and Central Greece, which durated about 5 Years 1828-1833, (i.e. even More than the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, another offspring of Navarino). As also in Napoleon's expedition in Egypt (another country with unexplored yet Ancient Civilisation), the French Army Intervention in Grece is accompagnied by a Parallel Scientific Exploration, on the Nature, Geography and History of the Country (focusing on many Ancient Monuments, etc), inspired here by the Century of Enlightnment's idealisation of the Ancient Greek Civilisation as a phare of Freedom, Rationality and Democracy, expressed also in Arts. Later-on, was created a Permanent French Scientific Institution : the "French School of Athens".

Delacroix's Famous Masterpiece Paintings "Greece at Messolonghi's Ruins" and "the Massacre of Chios" (a Border-line Island at the Aegean Sea), notoriously contributed to create, then, a Growing Philellenist Popular Movement, (Extended also amidst Brittish People).

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- In an Interview, earlier, to French Newspaper "Figaro", Prime Minister Mitsotakis declared his Intention to work Together with President Macron also on "Cultural" and Political objectives, contributing to "make our European Future a privileged area", as he said.

- Mitsotakis added a Parallel mention to “Peaceful CoExistence, based on the Rules of Good-Neighbourhood relations and International Law", pointing also at Turkey, which Should act similarly, while announcing also his intention to Cooperate with President Erdogan on Common Challenges faced Nowadays, including Mass Migration.

+ But, Now, he also joined Macron's and other EU Leaders' previous call "for a Europe which Protects its Citizens and Guards its External Borders", (as the Post-BREXIT Referendum, Bratislava 2016 and Rome 2017 Exceptional EU Summits on the Future of Europe, have Started to Claim : See "Eurofora"s relevant NewsReports from Bratislava and Rome, then, at: ... + ..., etc).

++ In Addition, Macron called Today to "Accelerate" the development of "EU's Mechanism for Civic Protection" for Citizens, (already proposed, Decades ago, by Michel Barnier), and that he had included in his landmarl "Sorbonne" Speech on Europe's foreseable Future, and was as well as evoked Now by Mitsotakis, Urging for it to become "Permanent".

 => Most Important, in the Security Policy Agenda, particularly pertinent Nowadays for the Energy-Rich Eastern Mediterrean Region, the New Greek Prime Minister openly Pleaded in Paris for a Europe able to launch "Joint Actions on Defense", (echoing and framing Macron's relevant Call, Earlier Today : Comp. Supra).

+ In Parallel, even if at anOther Context, Mitsotakis notoriously Invited French Companies to seize New Opportunities for Investments in Greece, pointing mainly at Less Taxes, a Better overall Climat for Business Nowadays, reduction of Red Tape or Bureaucracy, and Other Facilities, while his colaborators also Added the Recently Growing Energy Searches and Findings in Eastern Mediterranean Sea, from South of Creta Island, until Cyprus, Israel and Egypt's Energy Rich EEZ, for which Israel, Greece and Cyprus, joined by the USA, and logically soon also by Italy, etc., Recently Decided to Create an "Energy Corridor" Directly towards EU's mainland, where Various Transport Infrastructure and Other relevant Projects are considered, (See, f.ex., among others, also: .., +... etc).

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Shortly After that Franco-Greek Summit in Paris, with Macron's above-mentioned Declaration on Cyprus a.o. at the Forefront (Comp. Supra), Turkish President Tayip Erdogan reportedly made several Provocative Statements, including to Insult EU's Solidarity with EU Member Cyprus as "Shameful" (sic !), while also Launching Veiled Threats, by Boasting that, "if some have not yet been Teached Lessons" from the Past, "they must know that we won't hesitate to give them the necessary responses", as he said for Eastern Mediterranean Issues.

Meanwhile, in Addition to Turkish WarShips' Bullying, (f.ex. earlier this Year, against an Italian Company ENI's Drilling Ship inside Cyprus' EEZ, See : .., etc), added to recent Excessive Claims for Extending Turkey's EEZ unilateraly until Egypt (sic !), narrowly encircling Cyprus' island, etc., according to various MAPs put into circulation by Ankara's regime recently, Provocations continued also with the illegal Drilling prepared by Turkey's own 2 Oil/Gas Searching Ships surrounding Cyprus, gross Propaganda spread in English-Translated Pamphlets against Cyprus' Energy developments, while hardly  veiled Turkish Treats pop up almost Everywhere, etc.

Concrete Proposals on a set of EU "Sanctions" against Turkey, (including, probably, the "Freezing" of Hundreds of Millions € of EU Anual"PreAccession" Aid, etc), Ordered by the Latest EU Summit in Brussels since the End of June 2019 (See : .., etc), are due to be reviewed by EU's Foreign Ministers at their usual "Gymnich" Summit soon, and eventually Decided Politially at EU's forthcoming Summit of October 2019, After September's Top Level Annual Meetings at UNO's New York Headquarters, where Cyprus'-related Issues are due to be discussed on the sidelines.

Nevertheless, Turkish Authorities, at least for the moment, in Statements made just After that Paris' Meeting, reportedly Vowed to "Continue", "with the Same Determination", their Controversial Claims and Behavior at the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea, (Comp. Supra). Erdogan reportedly Threatened anew with Consequences upon "those who Refuse to Learn their Lesson", and provocatively Boasted that "No Project can be Realized if Turkey" and the Occupation regime in the Territories of Cyprus controlled by Ankara's Invasion Army, "are Not Involved", (as if EU Member Cyprus' Sovereign area's and EEZ's Natural Resources Belonged to Turks)...

(../..)

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