Greek Lawmaker Criticizes EU's Crimea Sanctions For Causing Travel Obstacles

Member of Greek parliament from the left-wing MERA25 party Maria Apatzidi has sent a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias with criticism of EU sanctions imposed over Crimea leaving Ukraine for Russia, which have resulted in barriers to the travel of Crimean Greeks to Greece

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2021) Member of Greek parliament from the left-wing MERA25 party Maria Apatzidi has sent a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias with criticism of EU sanctions imposed over Crimea leaving Ukraine for Russia, which have resulted in barriers to the travel of Crimean Greeks to Greece.

"The EU sanctions policy does not serve European interests, but on the contrary, it only adds problems and disagreements to the Old Continent, which suffers from such a policy. The only interests it can serve are those of the short-sighted and outdated politicians of the transatlantic 'allies' who dictate them to serve these interests, and only them, alien to both Greece and Europe as a whole, the Greek political leadership condemns part of Hellenism to a ban on entry to Greece," the letter read.

The Greek lawmaker decried, in particular, the fact that Crimean Greeks were prohibited from traveling to Greece because of the sanctions.

"The right of the Greek minority in Crimea to visit Greece is self-evident, and the Greek government is obliged to protect it in European institutions and do it immediately," Apatzidi wrote.

She further argued that the EU should not sacrifice the well-being and peaceful coexistence of people for the sake of narrow political interests, especially those of others.

In 2014, Crimea voted at a referendum to secede from Ukraine, to which it was transferred from Russia by the Soviet authorities in 1954, and reunite with Russia. Kiev did not recognize the referendum, while the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia, covering Crimean residents who now had Russian passports.