“International Law is not only a condition, but also a necessary tool for the achievement of peace in the world”, emphasizes the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis in an interview he gave to the international news network based in New Delhi WION, on the occasion of his visit to India.

“We share the very great concern for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, we face the same challenges, but I think we have a common conviction that only within the international framework of the United Nations and especially UNCLOS can we live with peace and prosperity,” he adds.

Although the Secretary of State admits that there are many challenges in implementing the Law of the Sea, particularly in the delimitation of the continental shelf and EEZ, all states should be actively involved in maintaining and further promoting UNCLOS.

“We are particularly optimistic that in the coming years the Law of the Sea will become a common place. After all, this is International Law”, points out Mr Gerapetritis, who makes special reference to International Customary Law “which essentially binds not only the signatories, but all the nations of the world”.

The foreign minister refers to the common values ​​that connect Greece with India, two nations with a history of thousands of years. He also refers to the adherence of the two countries to International Law and characterizes the upgrading of the relationship between the two states to a strategic one as an “excellent opportunity”, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Greece last August.

Despite the fact that Greece and India have concluded a series of agreements that ensure a relationship of multi-level cooperation between the two governments, Mr. Gerapetritis speaks of “enormous prospects” for cultural and economic interaction. These perspectives were explored by the numerous business delegation that followed Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on his official visit to India.

“Connectivity is the future of nationsbecause the world should be a single entity”, emphasizes Mr. Gerapetritis, referring to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the most ambitious plan on the Greece-India agenda, adding that this visionary plan has no only of a developmental nature, but will contribute to the deepening of cultural relations, but also to the consolidation of peace.

At the same time, he expresses Greece’s will to be a vital part of the Corridor: “Greece wishes to be the threshold, the gateway of India to Europe and not only because of its geographical position. It is the closest mainland country to the Middle East and has particularly important ports, such as the port of Piraeus, one of the largest in Mediterranean Europe.”

Utilizing Piraeus as a hub at IMEC could reduce the journey time by seven days. In addition, Greece has a very strong merchant navy, has developed strong synergies in relation to data transfer and has become an energy hub, especially for clean forms of energy.

As India is in fact present in Greece in important projects, such as the emblematic construction of the new airport of Kastelli in Crete, the very important investment opportunities offered by Piraeus and other Greek ports should be carefully examined.

In any case, Athens is willing to is doing everything in its power to realize the runway. “With the Government of India we determined during our stay here in New Delhi the next steps for the IMEC project, but also for all the other economic and cultural relations that we need to develop in the near future,” says Mr Gerapetritis.

Multilateral cooperation should now be expanded even more, and more specifically with the Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, in order to draw up very specific road maps for the realization of the project.

Asked about the risk of IMEC being affected by the Middle East crisis, the foreign minister admits there could be some delay. However, he expressed his firm belief that the plan would go ahead “regardless of the current situation, which we hope will end soon”. He describes the crisis in the Middle East as “truly horrible”, where a great humanitarian disaster has been caused, and calls on the international community “to take important measures, in order to stop the hostilities and allow the entry of full humanitarian aid, especially in the Gaza area”.

Mr. Gerapetritis still expresses his concern about the situation that has developed in the Red Sea. In addition to the fact that Yemen’s Houthi strikes have reduced trade through the Suez Canal by around 35%, there is a significant risk of the crisis spilling over.

“What we really need to do is conduct a global operation to protect maritime security,” he says. Greece has provided the headquarters to the EU operation and is participating in it with a frigate. “We think it is important not only in terms of maritime safety and the safety of everyone who works in this sector, but also because global security demands it,” he explains.

Referring to India’s place in international affairs, Mr. Gerapetritis states: “India constitutes a particularly important model economy, as it produces wealth and prosperity. On the other hand, it connects South and North, West and East, plays a leading role in the Global South and the G20, and could be the focus of international dialogue on the future of global governance.”

That is why, he says, it should actively participate in the necessary process of reforming the United Nations so that they meet the demands of the modern era. Greece, however, he adds, will support India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, as well as its candidacy for the organization of the 2036 Olympic Games.

Answering a question about the labor mobility agreement with India, Mr. Gerapetritis believes that it will be signed and ratified in the near future, in any case within 2024: “It is an original and model agreement in order, on the one hand, to allow mobility of the labor force and, on the other hand, to tackle irregular immigration”.

Greece needs workers in construction, tourism, recreation and agriculture. It is particularly important that the upcoming agreement refers to both skilled and unskilled workers.

Military cooperation is another chapter, which is of great interest to the Greek side. Participation in joint military exercises is an important upgrade of cooperation in this field, as is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Security Advisors of the two countries, but there is still a lot of room for interaction, e.g. through the exchange of know-how.

“We are countries that support peace and stability in their regions and globally. It is important to upgrade our relationship, especially since we are facing enormous challenges at the global level in terms of security”, observes the Greek foreign minister.

He points out that the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine make it necessary to review the international security architecture. Taking into account the difficulties that emerged in the decision-making process, both at the EU level and at the United Nations level, more effective security solutions should be sought, he emphasizes.

“We must begin to consider global governance as an effective means of protecting peace, prosperity and stability,” he concludes.