FM Gerapetritis at UN Ukraine debate
Greece’s foreign policy, as a founding member of the United Nations, has always been defined by its commitment to International Law, said Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis on Thursday in New York, in his address to the UN Security Council high-level open debate on Ukraine.
Together “with our EU partners, we are calling upon all nations to do their utmost, so that peaceful resolution of disputes prevails, in full respect for International Law by all,” he added.
To that end, Gerapetritis underlined, international treaties “that have defined borders between states, as well as important UN Conventions, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, must be respected by all nations.” In this context, he added, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine constitutes a grave breach of the UN Charter “and it remains a serious threat to European security, as well as to global peace and stability.”
Mentioning the need for alternative routes for Ukraine’s grain exports, and that “more than half of that grain was transported by Greek shipping companies,” he then noted that Greece is offering Ukraine an alternative transportation route to the Aegean Sea by making use of ports in northern Greece, “in cooperation with our partners, Bulgaria and Romania.”
Greece is a candidate country for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2025 -2026 term, Gerapetritis then mentioned, and “if elected, our term will be guided by three core values that are universally expressed in Greek language: Diplomacy, Dialogue, Democracy.”
Diplomacy and dialogue remain the only path to peaceful resolution of disputes, he elaborated, “but lasting stability and security cannot be sustained without democracy.”
Ukrainians today “fight for their right to live in a democratic society, and Greece and the European Union stand with them,” highlighted the Greek minister. [AMNA]
