NEW YORK – UN – [ANA-MPA] [Photo: GANP/ Dimitrios Panagos]
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the headquarters of the international organisation in New York.
The meeting, held on January 28, lasted approximately one hour, with the main topics being the Cyprus issue, Syria, Palestine and Libya.
In statements after the meeting, Gerapetritis said that the central topic of the meeting was the Cyprus issue, with reference to the meetings held by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Cyprus and to Confidence Building Measures, noting that “when conditions mature and there is some tangible progress on the issues that we are dealing with today, particularly those relating to Confidence Building Measures, there will be another meeting in an expanded format.”
He underlined that the Cyprus issue is “very high on the agenda” of the Secretary General and noted that it is an issue that “hurts international legitimacy and it is important to find a solution for the benefit of Cyprus, but also of international security.”
Regarding Syria, Gerapetritis stressed the need for “an inclusive policy that will encompass all religious and ethnic communities”, as well as for “the greatest possible balanced development in Syria without external interference and always within the framework of the principles of democracy and the rule of law.”
Referring to Libya, he pointed out that “discussions on a political solution are underway”, describing such a development as “important for peace in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region”, while issues concerning the application of International Law were also raised.
In the context of broader international instability, it was jointly noted that there are serious crisis hotspots in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sub-Saharan Africa, which he described as a region “experiencing a situation of multiple armed conflicts”. He stressed that there is an “absolute need for a global alliance under the UN umbrella” so that conflicts do not turn into a threat to international security.
In closing, he referred to the International Security Architecture, underlining that UN organisations must “remain at the forefront of efforts for the rule of law on the world stage.”
