“OR Greecea relatively small country, has a disproportionately large diplomatic capital thanks to its consistent foreign policy principles,” says the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis in his article in the newspaper “Parapolitika” entitled “The real international footprint of Greece and the potential opportunities”.

He emphasizes that “our country has become a reliable and influential interlocutor of powerful countries, regional players and international organizations”.

As he reminds, from January 1, 2025 and for the next two years, Greece will participate as a non-permanent member in his Security Council United Nations Organization. It is, as he mentions, the third time since the establishment of the Organization, in 1945, that Greece has been elected a member of the body which, according to the Charter, has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

Undoubtedly, he adds, “the election of Greece, with an impressive number of votes (182 out of 188 voting member states), is a vote of confidence by the international community, which recognizes our country as a pillar of stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterraneanat Balkans and wider”.

In the context of the Security Council, Greece, as Mr. Gerapetritis emphasizes, “will have the opportunity to strengthen its diplomatic foundations and play a major role in international affairs, especially in the current situation where two wars are raging in its neighborhood, thus upgrading its geopolitical position”.

“Despite the institutional dominance of the permanent members of the Security Council, elected members retain significant opportunities to shape the agenda and influence its decisions. Greece, strongly committed to International Lawwill promote the central role of the Security Council in the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, placing particular emphasis on the prohibition of the use or threat of use of force.”

Her participation in the Security Council will allow her to focus on thematic priorities of particular interest to us, such as the fight against discrimination, the climate crisis, the protection and promotion of children’s rights, the role of women in global peace and security and the safety of navigation, he says.

“The time of responsibility for Greece has already begun and our country is at the center of international diplomacy”, he characteristically underlines and adds:

“This is proven by the number of political leadership meetings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the context of the 79th UN General Assembly. with all the main actors in the international environment”.

“With this diplomatic capital, combined with political stability rather unusual for European standards, with an economy that is developing at a rapid pace and with armed forces that are substantially strengthened, Greece can today discuss internationally from an equal position, if not from a position of power , having managed, in cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus, to restore the Cyprus issue to the priorities of the UN. for the resumption of direct talks, which have already been launched within the month”, he underlines.

As he states, “consolidating our strong position is the biggest challenge of our foreign policy but also the legacy we must leave for a Greece without phobic syndromes and with great self-confidence”.

“It is precisely this position that allows us to see decades-old problems and attempt to solve them. With knowledge, wisdom and a sense of responsibility towards the next generations. Because the great moments of history are written when a country is strong on the international stage. And international power was not always a given,” he concludes.