NEW YORK (ANA-MPA/G. Garantzioti) [Photo: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
Maritime zones are not up for negotiation, they are an area in which international law must prevail, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said late on Wednesday, following his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York.
The foreign minister sent a clear message on defending Greece’s positions on maritime zones, stressing: “As far as Greece is concerned, I want to be absolutely clear. Greece will not tolerate any illegality with regard to maritime zones”.
He said maritime security was among the issues discussed at the meeting, with particular reference to illegal maritime delimitations. He added that everyone must understand that the seas and oceans are neither a privilege nor anyone’s private plot of land.
“There are rules governing relations between neighbouring maritime states, and these rules must be respected,” he added, pointing out that most UN member states had signed up to the rules of international law governing the law of the sea.
Gerapetritis reiterated Greece’s commitment to international law as the only means of resolving disputes. “Greece has always maintained that neighbouring countries should work together to resolve their differences”, he said, clarifying that this did not mean that aggressive actions contrary to international law could be tolerated.
The meeting with the UN Secretary-General also addressed the course of the United Nations and major international crises, including those in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
“Our shared conclusion is that we are currently at the most critical juncture for global peace and prosperity since the World War ΙΙ”, Gerapetritis said.
He stressed the need for new decisions to de-escalate crises, end wars and address the energy and food crises. He also underlined that it was “very important for the UN to remain at the forefront of efforts to secure global peace”.
“The peaceful settlement of disputes remains the most important achievement we secured after the World War ΙΙ”, he said.
On the Cyprus issue, the foreign minister highlighted the need to begin more formal discussions on the substance of the matter. “We must not lose the momentum built during António Guterres’s tenure”, he stressed.
Finally, he underlined the need for all parties to respect UN Security Council resolutions in order to reunify the island.
