ATHENS — "Greece is historically seeking to have good neighbourly relations and cooperation with Turkey and invests in the peaceful co-existence and the cooperation between the peoples. It is not however disposed to reliquish its sovereign rights or to accept questioning of its national territory," stated President of Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou during her visit on Monday to the remote Greek island of Agathonissi.

As the president said "the guarantee of peace, safety and stability in the southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean is the main pillar of our national strategy".

"Our country respects the international law and the international treaties and seeks a constructive relation with its neigbours. In parallel, it is determined to defend in any possible way and whenever needed, it national integrity and its sovereign rights," she added.

"I want from this remote area of Greece to send a message of national confidence and of national pride as the residents of Agathonissi, who are the stable custodians of the borders, not only of the Greece but of Europe, did" she underlined.

Sakellaropoulou arrived on Monday on Agathonissi where she was received by the regional governor of South Aegean Giorgos Hatzimarkos and the mayor Evangelos Kottoros.

She started her tour from the island's military post and afterwards went to the local school where she net with the nine pupils and talked with the teachers.

Sakellaropoulou was pronounced honorary citizen of Agathonissi.

Concluding her visit to Agathonissi, the president visited that gunboat Krateos.