site.btaGreece Expresses Dissatisfaction with Statements by Russian Foreign Ministry

The Greek Foreign Ministry said remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday were unacceptable, ANA-MPA reported. Zakharova accused Greece of "an unprecedented campaign to discredit Russia's policy".

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexandros Papaioannou said Sunday night that "the Greek foreign policy is a principled policy and is based on full respect for international law." He also stressed that Greece is involved in making and implementing the decisions of the international organizations of which it is a member, including the European Union and NATO.

He said recent statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, as well as publications by the Russian embassy in Athens, were unacceptable, inconsistent with diplomatic practice and the historical ties between the peoples of Greece and Russia.

Papaioannou expressed hope that historical ties would be preserved and that Russia's behavior would move in that direction.