ΑΤΗΕΝS — "Greece does not threaten anyone but nor is it intimidated by illegal actions," Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Monday, during joint statements with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, after their meeting in Athens.

Referring to the 63rd round of exploratory talks with Turkey scheduled for October 6 in Ankara, he said it was unacceptable that Turkey, through constant provocations and inflammatory statements, was trying to undermine the atmosphere of the talks before they even start.

Dendias condemned the "illegal actions against the Republic of Cyprus, starting with the invasion and the ongoing occupation of a large part of its territory".

"I would like to be clear in terms of Turkey's recent announcements about conducting illegal drilling within Cyprus' continental shelf. There are decisions of the European Council on this matter," he said.

Dendias said that Greece will always be at Cyprus' side and dedicated to the effort for a viable and fair solution of the Cyprus issue, a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation according to the decisions of UN's Security Council and the European acquis.

The Greek minister briefed his Cypriot counterpart on the Greece-France agreement and reiterated that this agreement is clearly of defensive nature.

On his part, Christodoulides briefed Dendias on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue "Ankaras illegal and dangerous Ankara in the last days prove to the most skeptical that the positive statements that we heard for a period from Turkey did not, unfortunately became actions".