‘We are moving forward with self-confidence and with international legality as our compass’
Today, after its hugely successful handling of the pandemic, our country is currently in the process of a new beginning — a beginning as promising as it is difficult. Our economy and tourism have been dynamically rebooted, while our foreign policy remains particularly active, reaffirming on a daily basis and through a number of targeted actions that Greece is a pillar of stability and security.
Through a wide network of alliances and synergies stretching from the Balkans and the Southeastern Mediterranean to the Gulf region, Greek diplomacy is endeavouring to leave its mark on all major developments in our region.
Greece has been methodically cultivating conditions for cooperation and mutual understanding with countries playing a key role on the international stage. Our country has considerably increased its international support, making its voice better heard. We seek to play an active role and have a say to developments in our region— and, of course, we enjoy the full and close cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus. The tangible evidence of these efforts includes, among other things, the immensely important agreement we recently signed with Italy on the delimitation of our maritime zones (EEZs), as well as the enduring concordance between Greece and France. The firm support of the USA has been voiced repeatedly and loudly by the most competent of figures. Additionally, our exceptional cooperation with key countries of the region, such as Egypt, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, is by no means a coincidence. My recent participation in the UN Security Council discussion concerning Libya, as well as our participation in a number of initiatives concerning the Sahel region, Latin America, Sudan and Yemen, are part of yet another effort to upgrade our role at the international level.
Greece has proven itself an anchor of stability for our region and that it consistently promotes peace, cooperation, security and good neighbourly relations between countries. It has proven that it knows how to solve problems, how to make a positive contribution towards preventing and resolving disputes and establishing trust, always on the basis of undeviating respect for International Law. This is our ‘compass’ and the framework in which Greece defends its rights and converses with its neighbours and partners.
Where the actions of Turkey are destabilising, those of Greece and Cyprus are constructive. Thus, no matter how long Turkey continues its provocations and unlawful conduct against Greece, Cyprus and other countries in the region, no matter how long it persists in provoking others through null and void agreements – such as the one it essentially imposed on Sarraj in Libya at the expense of the Libyan people – and no matter how long it persists in violating the resolutions of the UN Security Council on the Libyan arms embargo, Greece’s position will remain unwavering: respect for international law, cooperation with our partners in the European Union and the broader region, and enhancement of our alliances and dissuasive power.
We will continue defending our sovereignty and sovereign rights with composure and with complete and mounting decisiveness, as mandated by international legal order and our Constitution. We will not be drawn into shouting matches and making statements simply for effect; we are fully aware that dialogue is conducted on the basis of the rules of International Law, not according to the rationale of accomplished facts and the imposition of the will of the incidentally (and ostensibly) powerful. Ultimately, the proper understanding of a balance of power is an addition far more complex than just reading numbers.
July 11, 2020