ATHENS (Sputnik) — The Greek foreign minister said extremists in the Mediterranean region were trying to undermine fundamental religious rights and "destroy history" by demolishing monuments and ancient cities in the Middle East.
"We support and promote the establishment of an international monitoring body with the involvement of all interested parties to jointly contribute to the most effective community dialogue in the region and observing [cases] of crimes against humanity with the aim to prevent new crimes against religions and culture," Kotzias said at a two-day conference "Religious and Cultural Pluralism and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East."
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said earlier in October that the number of refugees who have crossed the Mediterranean Sea in 2015 to arrive in Greece surpassed 472,000, a figure 15 times higher than last year.
