Greek FM Nikos Dendias said he hoped Turkey would take a positive approach to a meeting scheduled for next week, which aims to reopen long-standing open talks over the territorial dispute, Reuters reported.

The two neighboring countries held 60 rounds of talks between 2002 and 2016, but last year it was planned to reopen discussions about the exploration vessel sent by Ankara to the disputed waters and about disagreements on the topics to be discussed.

“The only sure thing is the positive approach of Athens. I hope the Turkish side will come to these talks in the same spirit,” Nikos Dendias told the Efimerida Ton Syntakton newspaper in an interview.

The FM said the exploratory talks, which were halted in March 2016, were not negotiations but aimed to discover whether there was enough convergence for possible future negotiations on just one specific issue.

“I want to be clear, that (subject) is the demarcation of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean on the basis of international law,” Dendias was quoted as saying.

He added that if negotiations did begin after the exploratory talks but the two sides were still unable to reach a deal, they would have to agree on a text to refer the issue to the International Court in The Hague.

While Athens only wants to consider the demarcation of maritime zones in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara says all issues must be resolved, including airspace and the status of some Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

“In the exploratory talks there will be no discussion on demilitarising islands. No discussion on an issue that has to do with national sovereignty,” Dendias told the newspaper.