France will stand by Greece whenever its sovereignty is under threat, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in Paris on Friday, following a meeting with her Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

Colonna, appointed after the recent national elections, said that France will follow closely developments and assured Greece of its commitment.

In statements to the press after the two ministers met, she referred to the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of great interest to Greece and France, but a region of tension as well.

Colonna underlined the importance of a common EU stance before Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, and noted the necessity of fighting misinformation generated by Moscow “which seeks to make us forget the causes of the war.” Russia alone is responsible for the economic and geopolitical repercussions of the invasion, she said, particularly in energy.

The two ministers also discussed energy security and European-wide decisions, which she said were in the right direction, especially in becoming less dependent on Russian natural gas imports.