Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke at the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The Greek Prime Minister mentioned, among other things, the efforts being made for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the war in Ukraine, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue.
“This is the first time I am here as the leader of a country that is an upcoming member of the UN Security Council” was the initial position of Kyriakos Mitsotakis who added: “Our world is becoming less and less safe. In the midst of threats there are opportunities to cooperate on a global scale… Since 1946 the Security Council has not seen significant reform. Today it cannot solve the complex problems of the present and the future”.
He then spoke about the effort being made for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. “Greece will do everything it can to influence stability. A year ago we did not know that the terrorist attack of October 7 (in Israel) would take place. Violence in the Middle East is causing civilians to suffer in Gaza. Greece calls on those with influence to step back from this cycle of violence and for everyone to engage in de-escalation dialogue. Greece supports the 21-day ceasefire… There must be a return of the hostages to Gaza.”
“The occupation of Cyprus is a violation of the principles of the European Charter”
During his speech, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was quick to respond to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Greek Prime Minister initially emphasized: “I have met the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a total of six times. There is a prospect for alleviating any tension. Our only difference is the definition of the continental shelf and the EEZ in the Aegean”.
He then referred to the Cyprus issue, pointing out that he does not see any intention for dialogue on the part of Turkey for dialogue on the specific issues and stressed that “The occupation of Cyprus is a violation of the principles of the European Charter. We want a bizonal federation solution with one legal entity. The two-state solution will not be accepted. It’s not a solution. We call on Turkey to return to negotiations for a fair and sustainable solution”
Then he also spoke about the situation in the Western Balkans, stressing: “Greece has always had a vision to reduce conflicts. 21 years after the Thessaloniki agenda, political leaders must act to embrace the future. The revival of nationalisms has no place today. International agreements must be respected, such as the Prespa Agreement. Remember Churchill’s words: The Balkans produce more history than they can handle”.
The Prime Minister also referred to the challenges from the use of Artificial Intelligence and social networking platforms, especially in the mental health of children.
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