Foreign Affairs minister Dimitris Avramopoulos represented Greece in NATO’s Foreign Affairs ministerial Council held in Brussels yesterday.

Participants exchanged views on recent developments in Syria, while Avramopoulos stressed the importance of NATO’s strategic cooperation with Russia and the need to reinforce political dialogue between the two sides.

On Syria, the FM noted that Greece believed in a political process involving all sides to reach a solution which will allow the Syrian people to express their right to self-determination. In relation to NATO’s agreement to enhance Turkey’s air defense by deploying Patriot missiles, Avramopoulos pointed to the strictly defensive nature of the move.

He also confirmed Greece’s support of NATO’s enlargement process, as a tool to safeguard peace, security and progress, but warned that the enlargement should "be an open door policy, not an open house party."

During the main session of the North Atlantic Council there was a discussion of NATO Partnerships, and particularly the Alliance’s priorities in this area. In this context, Avramopoulos underscored Greece’s substantial contribution to the KFOR mission, and stressed that the Alliance partnership programme is of primary importance for international security, and should thus continue its operation unhindered.