ATHENS – "Αlmost every day, the Turkish leadership, instead of seeking bridges of understanding, tries in every way and using unacceptable methods to question our sovereign rights," stated President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou during her meeting on Wednesday with Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas at the Presidential Mansion.

Sakellaropoulou underlined that "our will to protect our national integrity and our sovereign rights it is self-evident, always with respect for international law and our eyes fixed on the peaceful co-existence of the peoples of the region".

She referred particularly to her recent visit to the region of Thrace, saying that she had the opportunity to see up close the problems and the difficulties of a remote area where Christians and Muslim Greeks live side by side, underlining that "at a time when we are trying to guarantee conditions of equality and peaceful co-existence, unfortunately, our neighbours are constantly creating tension and problems."

On his part, Koutsoumbas underlined that "the current developments are, in our opinion, dangerous, complex and difficult, with power struggles in the wider area of the Eastern Mediterannean and an escalation of Turkish provocativeness and aggressiveness, which questions Greece's sovereign rights."

Referring to the economy, Koutsoumbas described the situation as difficult due to the new economic crisis and predicted that, unfortunately, the cost of the crisis will be shouldered by workers, by the people of Greece and of other countries, adding that he wanted to brief Sakellaropoulou on his party's proposals and positions.

The President praised KKE's contribution to the implementatin of the health-safety measures against the spread of the coronavirus and said that she was aware of the KKE leader's concern for workers and the young people stricken by the crisis. "It is our responsiblity to help as much as possible and support the people that are in a dire position, as some of them may lose their jobs while many enterprises and professionals are struggling to survive," she added.