moscow to meet with russian president vladimir putin maritime tension are growing up between a. showdown imminent and what role is moscow to play i sat down to discuss all of this with george to foreign minister. russia's gas business. gas pipeline. securing. a reasonable price with. russian energy related. to the project with greek soil. individual members. but it's winter. at the gallows thank you for being with us today on our program it's

a pleasure welcome to me so let's talk about prime minister to press and present putin are set to discuss the turks trade natural gas pipeline project which actually have possible extension to greece so i understand the moscow is yet to decide whether this will go through. or greece how do you thing your prime minister will convince that it is more profitable for russia to actually tilt towards grace rather than bulgaria well. or maybe not even. going to discuss the first time. in my. world but also for. a lot of pipelines. going through our. and i think this is also true that us though

for the us and for the federation we cover them a commonality of interests there are some legal objections from brussels we got in the visibility we'll get to brussels why do you think in european in russia should go for a grace rather than bulgaria there are many technical reasons really got it in the feasibility aspects of the project we have better possibilities for infrastructure our neighbors but ok this is up to the rosie on the federation to decide so ok let's talk about brussels your prime minister has also been talking to brussels about greece getting at ter stream pipeline do you think he can push it through using wessels brussels will agree and support this there is a very great similarity i would see between the lead up with this you know so far north slim and through history so what will it always saying is that whatever is going to happen regarding the one must happen to the other so it's not

a difficult situation for us we say that to the european commission we must have the same standards so then there is hungary it's also hoping to get some benefits from the project that it's actually demanding from brussels to stop putting spokes in the wheels that's a quote if you think that's what they're doing their thing that's what brussels is doing actually putting us in that we must ask of us and got the answer about that about you i know yeah very clear that i'm not an observer. european union is our home but what they were trying to do is also building bridges between european union and russia was. going to be with these. bags of principle with us so what they were trying to do is something which really been if you sell not just for us and then also for the reasonable course of that also for the european union as well sure i mean i wouldn't expect any other answer from a foreign minister than this but i. just you know what's that we get for with. but

it's just like for for us it is interesting to observe how different members of the european union within this big family are men no ring or reacting to to this or that project especially they got to have lines when it has when it comes to russia because you know that historically gas pipe pipelines that go from russia to europe have met opposition and resistance but first as lately south from pipeline another gas project went down thanks to ia commissions opposition. look we have some fundamental you know our foreign policy perspective with the national low of utopia lower flowing. but we says that we're going to see that the only way to settle disputes is through a political dialogue and also by building economic ties so we've got economic diplomacy not strong complement of normal political diplomacy and as i said we did

not consider that will be on the something some minds exists is that i'd wait to treat the differences we have between the european union and russia and then there's like a german approach for instance right. for example in brussels and washington where scolding germany for building the nordstrom to germans were like you know what will take care of this on our own thank you they were very firm about that do you think greece can have same sort of position if it is pressured from brussels. not bresson brussels have legal opinions and you know you have two lawyers who maybe sometimes you've got three opinions but here it's not so much about the giudice last but the vote that this was more about the. interests of the european union russia national interests we are very much aligned with. and we are very much aligned in the position that. whatever is going to happen with

a muslim there's not any kind of reason not to be caught but most are with the extreme and whatever. but whatever the other by applying these in the same league of which it's about texting right now for a show is a hot topic that's why i'm talking about this so much ok you're saying there is no pressure from brussels just legal points of view but there's certainly a lot of. opinions coming from america for instance america says that turks train threatens europe's energy security i mean meanwhile this pipeline will be able to supply thirty one point five billion cubic meters of natural gas to europe when america tells europe not to have that does it have an understanding of europe's energy needs well it's not the states have. been you know that but if you compare the amount of gas that's passing through north into the amount of gas that is going to pass through through your allies that is a very small percentage for the lot so even if we take into account of the american

concerns what is important is the north to move it through the system so. if the political course and so father's for us so the europeans remains this isn't a force in which almost respect just our interests and also our legal framework but you know you started this interview saying that you think greece should be greece should be like a help should be multitudes of pipelines going through greece and united states is actually saying the turks trim project won't increase energy diversification meanwhile united states is offering natural gas which is more expensive what greece is getting right now do you think race is willing to pay the price gap but this exact reverse is why. i said that that whole myth of the european you know but we're going to follow multidimensional economic and political diplomacy and the one

i'm saying we want to be a hub of many pipelines i covered mined by blames come from because beyond having mind the pipelines coming from the middle east is that used to me that i wouldn't mind those who are worrying that the bush would be leaders to have energy for the united states because this is the position we have we want to be some kind of natural beads with africa europe and this is the benefit of everybody and it's not against the interests of anybody else so i will talk a little bit about is mad and want to understand your logic a little more this isn't pipeline is also supposed to run through greece from israel right. but turks stream to you will deliver sooner and cheaper. does it make sense to have another pipeline just for diversification when you already when the needs of you know gas supply are met we are speaking about the economic diplomacy and not just about the gains and losses exactly because issues

like that energy security what are the nuts you're not economists are going to we started seeing interests legal framework european know all of that. and cannot be isolated and one of the reasons that we want to have these multidimensional economic diplomacy is exactly because we want to have at the political level a multi dimension of diplomacy also in order to protect our national interests so i think that there were a lot of quite. serious and. with ourselves when we were following this approach so just in may european commission and gasper ridged in agreement where it obliges gas from to provide as much gas as needed at competitive prices to europe so with this agreement reached with the european supply now cheap and secure is diversification there was to be cation still an issue yes definitely because

when there's always an issue it's like if you are an investor you do not want to put all your money in one project you know or even in a blue chip you must have the possibility to have a diversity or for you know the sources show us any political turmoil not to have a serious impact or your national interests so you know sanctions are sour sore point for us or russians. european countries are united on the question of anti russian sanctions whether they're friendly towards russia or not they're all for entire russian sections but that when it comes to gas they don't mind having a pile of gas probably does it make it a little harder to argue for sanctions when you're at the same time getting i would not agree with first of all with. saying that or you. have the same let's see standing on that. one side this is a mistake and all of us must respect that because i said the european union is our

. own home. base the diplomacy must be the one for everybody in respect to this is. for them but any time that the greece has to discuss in the audience of the european union is for sure sanctions we were always saying that sections are not productive and the only productive way to incorporate into the european system of security which is. to make good use the political dialogue so we are trying to be very very constructive or that be with the european union and. of course i'm repeating myself this is a mistake and this is going to be respected we're going to take a break right now when we come back we'll continue talking to the. foreign minister talking about the prospects of the turks train pipeline and many other issues stay

with us. when a loved one is murder it's natural to seek the death penalty for the murder. that's right. research shows that for every nine executions one convict just found innocent the idea that we were executing innocent people was terrifying lose just

moved to the present and that we're even many victims' families want the death penalty to be abolished the reason we have to keep the death penalty here is because that's what murder victims' families what that's going to give them peace that's going to give them justice and we come in saying. not quite enough we've been through this this isn't the way. the ways of the united states is dangerous for moost of the illegal immigrants. crossing their fingers just as they would a simple i want to become lost and i want to ask some just about what if many of them look for refuge in the so-called sentry sides of the drifter used to share information about undocumented migrants with federal authorities how to best restaurants ban commom. illicit or don't have a i have personally i get them in a lot of class and i want that all bad apples they have that water they all choose

to stay in the country with donald trump in the white house all over for the gravels. schools if you hope to be who could be about to do. a sit sit struggles of many couples quote. to which at the push to put impulse response both of you up with a few of hope for the. now we're back with alternative foreign minister of greece george got pulled out of us mr cox without us i want to talk about cyprus a little bit because it all. also could become another gas producer in the region has already announced trailing planes but turkey obviously has a problem with that it says to actually stay away from cypriot gas until

a political solution is found to the divided island but do you think maybe economic benefits of the drilling to can help find a political solution quicker there is only one thing that the if this is somebody borst to they're not going to be there so for states these are the rational low because it's only through respect if with the national low that we've got to have an organized international community so what this type of. republic is doing is exactly exercising and i it's so many lights of it are in conformity with the the not so no with especially the low of the sea and the reaction of. is exactly not something that we can understand explained by these initial four different conflicting this is something that they want to buy this would reject exactly because it's in violation of it and i saw no show in this is

like that that is not if it's profitable or not it is if it is legal or not so you have said i think i'm quoting here right now that his reaction to this issue is erratic and it's a demonstration of weakness. athens have a stronger position on this issue and play push i correct my i'm going to flatter to that end quote to you but the well for him truth it did you know it's a very it's obviously not a discussion that what they said is that i want to go provocative when it is clear that you are right that i do let's say it's to protect were this is really. pct. proof that you are not strong but you are weak in their weakness is exactly an activity i guess that i still know that there's not us that we're saying that. i'm out of this year the european council the council of the leaders of the european union has got at that i

was that illegal is contrary to deny sello simla block this is so full of and when i was speaking about the weakness of our neighbors with who is to want to have a peaceful relation is exactly a witness stand for the fact that i can against that that i love and release him because of these acts so another issue in relations between athens and our kyra is the greek territorial waters because greek greece wants to extend its maritime borders according to this convention u.n. convention that would actually give it to right to do so but i've got a saying well we haven't signed this convention so they're not having any of that how far is athens willing to push with this i mean this could create a pretty nervous situation now you said that this is their move from an international treaty that has been signed now by the but i could tell it all. over the world besides the turkey but the exactly one thing you know that they're not

going low the say that the son of general acceptance of the rules is becoming not. bait that he but also gets the money. so with the course either that the us and i. respect our solve it and i'd like to expand. the thought of what else but there's something more than that and. it's a demonstration of my claim that there are gays not acting within international no duty to be exact not the recently from right this is you know if it's not one simply they didn't the something kids said said that they have said that. because if they like us believe the possibility they're there the exercise of out in right the extent they did on all those but threat of four years of

violence is against something even more fundamental the oversea that south of the the united nations because even we want to have a peaceful cooperation then the absolute necessity that can these are cynical unknown is not to have the war as possibilities of politics in other means and every nation that is threatening our neighbor by war by use of violence by this act it's putting itself out of the international legal order so according to recent reports greece is also seeking to end the to me chill assistance clause of de lisbon treaty to stress that its maritime borders are also those of the e.u. how willing do you think brussels will be to baccy on that this is. an idea of president mike wrong that we are backing she's speaking about true or not they're open europeans are wearing the that has as other bases this article of the three d.

i've been forced to do by going to seven similarly to the other thirty five are made to which is practically that every european country would solve that attack. has the right to ask the assistance of its allies of its members of the european union we could see that us as a self evident. obligation of the european union to protect its borders because the borders of the european union are the borders of the members. and this is one of the reasons that we are supporting european defense got pass it recently because that mccrone in that sense that our medical have spoken about the european out of me maybe it's actually to speak about that but this vision of a utopia to protect its member states and its citizens i think it's a vision of europe about what i want to say oh well first of all you have nato what

do you need your army for nato did not protect those that live in now from threats like that exactly because that is also a member of nato so do you think the european army would be an alternative to nato no european defense it is going to be complimentary to nato and will remain members of nato and one of the few my books that satisfy your brigade soon to be two percent of the about that for defense a b. like this but as i said with a not to want to have i lyons i guess the duty of this is not out of basically as you are not what do we want this to be friends with duty but that i suppose this respect mutual respect the fellow we cannot be friends if we do not have agreed to the rules that we're going to follow you know what i always wondered i mean you crease in turkey are both members of nato do you think that's what essentially

keeps you away from a military confrontation with each other i also wonder. dirty. mind. that would be true said the intern in case what do we want to engage them in a dialogue. as a final goal to these old. exactly by this rule means for political dialogue and we hope that the work at sea of symlin would go and talk a bit about the my current crisis greece has been hit very hard by the looks of migrants into europe but then the e.u. turkey refugee deal sort of eased. the burden and. lighten the burden for grace can and antagonizing actually lead to the failure of this agreement do you think return of the crisis made exactly this agreement between

european union user usually cooperation between european union men today between us and two if you're going to be mutually beneficial. of course migration cannot be that it doesn't naturally so it is a global issue and especially within the confines of the european union must be true that there's a european one this is also in the. aspect. where you would think you a collective way of engaging everybody in something that we think finally would be beneficial again everybody looking westwards in our greek economy is yet to fully recover from all the bailout trauma it went through and a lot of banks are still in heavy debt are you confident in the country do you think it's steering through and staying afloat yes i would have fully recovered we cover six consecutive of course with growth last quarter. growth

of two point two percent projections for next year is a four growth of two point five percent of course we've got. still in the good society they can lay some of eighty years of misery but was that going to leave all that behind us and not just the canonically get them out of the program of the program so for us as mint is also a return to full democratic control over the fate of our nation so with other levers of the mochas the end of economy we have really don't update after all so syriza has been brought to power and raised by disillusioned voters fed up with the regular faces in politics do you think all of this and you're part of this common pan-european trend of shaking up conventional establishment. it is not the greek for those the good citizens that they are feeling. this in saying that by what's happening in europe even the european commission that's one thing it's

a huge panhandler appear movement i'm very confident of that and i'm saying that even the european commission you need to reset the book what the book about the future of europe say is that we are the first the generation of europeans who fears that who feel that the two of them are going to cover worse life than ours and we see this feeling in the that is not that evolved in france in the let's say the. reversal of the political system encounters that we consider to be very politically stable so what is for sure is that this does mother meant for the welfare state these explosion of inequalities cannot continue like that then he'll that question is this talent is going to be met by a progress of response as the one that we have trying to build

a utopian alliance with other powers of the equality or the social democracy or they are going to prevail again it is that horses who want to get their. europe you know gordon and that's one of the stick that never existed therefore we have speaking about two europe's going to a front it's either you know the next european elections that we believe that the europe of progress of openness or human and i sent freedoms is going to prevail so why do you think that the in greece the popular discontent movement actually resulted in a left government and then everywhere else in europe in their right trump style well it is not a universal what we are saying look. at what's happening in the u.k. but even i think united states this feeling they're working class that their demands are not met it is. as i said.

i was. saying that for the first. something if you look at the program of course those we're going to see the political positions that some years ago would be. for those. that we have. especially over the. top the list. for the big majority for the working class of the middle class. thank you for this .

war trade war. with china artificially. get their exports to the u.s. in a way to build their economy and then the u.s. it worker was losing their job but there are. there was a symbiotic relationship going on so if the question is who's going to be a twenty first century. going to the u.s. or china my thought is going to be a coterminous and that both the u.s. and china are going to fall apart. what does the raw. tell us about the state of the neo liberal order in europe are the protests in france the largest since one thousand nine hundred eighty eight just about

a hike. and. the right person to be president to address the problems so many. join me every day on the alex salmond chill and i'll be speaking to the world of politics sport i'm sure i'll see if. not authorized to have the. rich. to give to you.

on the bankroll for the base walker. and this is going to. treat their international mascherano that these industries out of polluting simply ignored the money and. the mother of the. day into this. fifty.