An extremely important opportunity to further highlight Greece’s role and diplomatic footprint on the international stage was described by the Minister of Foreign Affairs George Giorgos Gerapetritis, who visits New York tomorrow to take part in a New York Council to participate at the UN General Assembly and at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

Speaking to the Hellenic newspaper “National Kirix”, Mr Gerapetritis said, among other things, that Greece, after a strong diplomatic struggle, “becomes a co -producer of global architecture in a particularly critical geopolitical context”.

He added that the issues that will deal with the General Assembly and the Security Council next week would be the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, and reminded that a few days ago, he completed a first cycle of important contacts in the wider Middle East, Qatar , Jerusalem, Ramamala, Aman, Abu Dhabi and Damascus, while also visiting the new Delhi.

“I had a particularly constructive discussion with my Indian counterpart, among other things, about the implementation of the grand visionary economic corridor of India-Middle-Europe (IMEEC). Greece is actively present in an area of ​​its wider neighborhood, where historical changes are taking place. We do not have the luxury of being spectators of developments. We have to be part of their co -ordinators, ”said Mr. Gerapetritis.

Referring to relations between Greece and the United States, he said they were deeply strategic and that the Greek government had worked closely and constructively with the American side and during the first term of President D. Trump.

“We therefore have every reason to believe that something similar will happen now,” he said.

Commenting on the declarations of the new US administration “which seems to create a new landscape on the international stage” he said that as an EU member state “we must recognize that it is necessary to upgrade the role and dynamics of the EU at all levels, so in order to successfully respond to the challenges of a difficult predictable international environment.

As for us, I would like to emphasize that Greece is not up. It remains committed to principles and values, to settle disputes through diplomacy and dialogue, with respect to international law and the statute of the United Nations. “

Referring to the importance that Greece’s participation in the Security Council may have as a non -permanent member, Mr Gerapetritis said that in an ever -changing geopolitical landscape, Greece’s position in the UN Security Council is at the same time a great honor and a great deal of responsibility.

“On the one hand, Greece has in recent years been able to get out of successive crises, economic, immigration, health, energy, geopolitical and develop a strong international footprint. Thanks to our commitment to international law, but also to the development of sincere relations with states in all lengths and widths of the Earth, we look forward to being a bridge between the North and the South, the East and the West. But this is our great responsibility. When about a quarter of states is in some form of intensity or conflict, Greece will do everything possible to restore the true meaning of peaceful resolution of disputes, as it crystallizes the statute of the United Nations, “he said.

Finally, speaking about the dialogue with Turkey, the Foreign Minister stressed that we were obliged to seek to resolve disputes through the dialogue and added:

“Of course, in order for the dialogue to be efficient, it must be structured and carried out honestly. For more than a year and a half, the structured dialogue with Turkey has drastically limited airspace violations, has boosted cooperation in migration, boosting bilateral trade and has significantly increased the number of visitors from Turkey to the east islands. Aegean. Most importantly, however, it has ensured that crisis can be avoided through the communication channels we have developed. On the other hand, it would be unrealistic to expect that Turkey would abandon claims that have been up for many decades. Greece has made it clear from the outset that it would not discuss sovereignty issues. We recognize a single difference that can be brought before international jurisdiction, namely the delineation of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone. Turkey is still related to the debate about resolving other issues, which cannot be accepted. As a result, the positions of the two countries are significant. “

He concluded by saying that in any case, the dialogue should not stop and noted that “we do not have the luxury of inactivity and immobility”.