Spain’s foreign minister, Josep Pique, visits Athens
EPA Spain’s foreign minister, Josep Pique (r), visiting Athens yesterday, stepped up EU pressure to end an impasse over the EU’s nascent defense force. Athens objects to a proposal that Ankara should have a say over the force’s activities in the Aegean and Cyprus. This has placed the issue on hold.’We are asking for all sides to show flexibility so an agreement can be reached as soon as possible,’ said Pique, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. He met with Foreign Minister George Papandreou. «These are pieces that cannot be bought nowadays,» he told Kathimerini. «They do not exist in the market, so even if somebody had the means to purchase them, they would be impossible to find.»
