A top-ranking European Commission (EC) official on Friday condemned as “unacceptable” the actions of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, noting that the issue would be discussed by European Union High Representative Josep Borrell with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is to join a teleconference of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, according to the Greek Kathimerini daily.
The EC will continue to keep the issue of Turkey’s behavior in the region, where it has already started illegal exploration for hydrocarbons and is seeking to further extend its activities to encroach on the Greek continental shelf, “on the table,” the official said. The issue was an “extremely important” one for the EU, the official said.
Pompeo is scheduled to join Monday’s teleconference for an hour and a half. His participation in the discussion is expected to focus primarily on China, according to EC sources, but other topics to be discussed include the Middle East peace process, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international relations and the situation in Libya.