UPDATE 2- Türkiye, Greece announce declaration on friendly relations, good neighborliness

UPDATES WITH ADDING MOUs, AGREEMENTS SIGNED

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Türkiye and Greece on Thursday announced the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighbourliness on the occasion of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s official visit to the Greek capital.

“Recognizing the renewed will for cooperation between the Governments of the two countries and underlining that the bonds between the two neighbouring nations harbour the potential to markedly increase the region’s prosperity and dynamism,” the declaration emphasized the need to continue together for the benefit of both societies in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust.

According to the declaration, the two countries stressed that they are committed to fostering friendly relations, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and understanding and seeking resolution to any dispute between them in line with international law.

Against this background, the two countries agreed to engage in continuing constructive and meaningful consultations based on the pillars of political dialogue, positive agenda and confidence-building measures and refrain from acts and statements that might undermine the spirit of the declaration.

Furthermore, the two sides underscored that they would work to cultivate “a spirit of solidarity in the face of current and future challenges without any prejudice to each other’s legal positions,” according to the declaration

They also announced that they would encourage the exchange of visits at every level with a result-oriented approach to promote a positive atmosphere and agenda, it said.

The declaration also underscored that the "bonds between the two neighbouring nations harbour the potential to markedly increase the region’s prosperity and dynamism.

- Concrete steps to improve bilateral ties

One agreement, seven memorandum of understanding (MoUs), and seven joint declarations covering different fields were also signed between the parties.

The agreement between the two countries’ education ministers covers the recognition of technical education diplomas, the exchange of knowledge and experience, the organization of joint educational activities for teachers and students, and student exchanges.

MoUs were signed in the fields of electricity transmission, small and medium enterprises, export promotion and mutual investment, social security, and sports.

Moreover, joint declarations included cooperation in tourism and science, customs, and rural development, among other domains.