The need to respect international law and de-escalation in the Middle East region was mentioned by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis from the floor of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

As the prime minister said, the Security Council represents the collective voice, but today it cannot solve the complex problems of the present or the future and added that the expansion of the Security Council must include permanent and non-permanent members.

At the same time, he underlined that the citizens are suffering in Gaza and the threat of a large-scale war must be avoided. Thus, Greece calls on the parties involved to retreat from violence and for there to be a de-escalation dialogue and for everyone to live peacefully in every part of the border, said K. Mitsotakis, adding that Greece supports a 21-day ceasefire and a de-escalation dialogue, “we support Israel’s right to self-defense and the immediate return of hostages. … A war in Lebanon must be avoided.”

“The Israelis and the Palestinians must live side by side in peace, there is no other solution than the existence of two states, so that peace will last for a long time,” he said characteristically.

“A two-state solution is not acceptable”

Regarding the relations with Turkey, Mr. Mitsotakis mentioned that the topics of discussion are the EEZ and the continental shelf.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, he said that we do not see any progress and reiterated Greece’s support for the resumption of talks. “A two-state solution cannot exist or be accepted” he underlined and called on the Turkish Cypriot community to return to the consultation table.

“International agreements to be respected”

The prime minister also referred to Greece’s support for the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, sending signals, primarily to the political leaderships of Albania and North Macedonia, speaking of respect for the Rule of Law and good neighborly relations.

The states of the Western Balkans must let go of the traumas of the past, he said, while stressing that international agreements must be respected, whether we are talking about Prespa or Pristina.

Earlier, the Prime Minister met with the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.

During the meeting, the priorities of Greece in its term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council during the two years 2025-26 were discussed.

The Prime Minister underlined that Greece wants to be a bridge between the South and the North, the West and the East, as it is a member state of the EU, of NATO, and talks at the same time with countries of the Global South.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his appreciation for the efforts of the Secretary General to restart the talks on the Cyprus issue and summarized that every possibility for a solution of the Cyprus issue should be exploited on the basis of the decisions of the UN Security Council.