Greece

Let me begin, Mr. President, by congratulating you upon your election as President of the General Assembly and assure you of my country’s unwavering support for your endeavours. Your previous experience at the United Nations ensures that under your guidance the Assembly will continue to promote the values and principles of our Organization. I also wish to extend our sincere thanks to the outgoing President, Mr. Ping. His tireless efforts in all fields, particularly in the preparations for the High- level Plenary Meeting, have been exemplary. Greece fully subscribes to the statement delivered earlier by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom on behalf of the European Union, as well as to the European Union priorities presented to the General Assembly. I would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his relentless efforts to promote peace and security and to safeguard the moral authority and the pre-eminent role of our United Nations. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, we continue to face many threats and challenges that undermine the basic values and principles of our societies and test our will and determination to abide by the obligations and restraints inherent in those values and principles. Only through concerted collective action, dialogue and mutual understanding can we confront them and pave the way for a better and brighter future. Terrorism has emerged as the most important challenge of our times, creating an atmosphere of collective fear, intolerance and a never-ending cycle of violence. Throughout history, violence has never proven to be an answer to our problems. Peace, stability and security can only be achieved through tolerance, acceptance and the realization that our common interests far outweigh our differences. There is no justification whatsoever for terrorism. It is high time for an urgent collective effort to put an immediate end to that modern scourge. Natural disasters, like the tsunami in Asia and the recent hurricane in the southern part of the United States — with so many victims and unimaginable destruction — also demonstrate sufficiently the importance of international cooperation and the urgent need for human solidarity. I am fully aware of the importance of economic development for a considerable part of the world. Security and sustainable development go hand in hand. Our collective commitment and efforts are needed to correct the imbalances and disparities in the world. It is only a matter of time before extreme poverty, hunger and the catastrophic impact of widespread diseases will lead to strife, internal or external. The foremost example of that is in Africa, where the vicious cycle of poverty, conflict and HIV/AIDS produces an explosive combination ripping apart the fabric of their societies and threatening them with unprecedented and dire consequences. 22 Multilateral cooperation is the only way to a better world. The international multilateral system must be enhanced and strengthened. Greece fully participates in the policies formulated by the European Union and the various international organizations that contribute to the economic development of all areas of the world in order to redress existing imbalances. We appreciate the value of cultural diversity in a world unfortunately so often divided by discrimination. We believe in dialogue among cultures, among people and among societies. We fully support the peaceful resolution of all our disputes on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter. We are deeply committed to the United Nations and what it represents and to effective multilateralism and the pre- eminence of international law. Looking at Greece’s immediate neighbourhood, the Balkans, we realize that it has not yet been fully transformed into a region of peace, stability and prosperity. In Kosovo, the trauma created by the repression of the past and the inter-ethnic violence that plagued the region for so long has yet to be healed. There is a need for a settlement that is in conformity with international legality, as expressed by the United Nations, and with European standards and values — a settlement which will enhance regional stability. We remain convinced that European integration is the only way to find permanent solutions to existing problems and challenges in the area. At the same time, regional cooperation must be strengthened so as to effectively address the problems of the neighbourhood. Greece, which holds the chairmanship-in-office of the South-East European Cooperation Process, is determined to strengthen the institutional aspects of that process and to develop it into the real voice of the region. I deeply regret that the Cyprus problem remains unresolved. In the 31 years of military occupation of more than one third of the territory of Cyprus, Greece has strongly supported every attempt and initiative by the United Nations to achieve a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. In the light of the outcome of last year’s referendums, which should be fully respected, any new initiative will have to be carefully prepared so as to ensure real chances for success. For our part, we are ready to work towards building the necessary common ground, which will render possible the re-launching of meaningful negotiations. Our ultimate goal remains an agreed solution between the two parties. We remain steadfastly committed to reaching a just and viable solution for the reunification of the island following negotiations on the basis of the Secretary-General’s plan and the relevant Security Council resolutions, and in conformity with European Union principles and acquis. In this endeavour, Greece will spare no effort. The climate of our bilateral relations with Turkey over recent years has been constantly improving. We have made vigorous efforts to put our relations on a new, solid track. Significant progress has been achieved in several areas of our bilateral cooperation, and Turkey’s European Union perspective will further broaden the scope of our relations. The latest developments in the Middle East allow us to maintain a certain level of reserved optimism. The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank does, indeed, constitute an important milestone. This is a momentous opportunity to revitalize the road map and to move the process a step closer to achieving a fair, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The road map remains the framework for the achievement of a just and lasting peace. Both parties should concentrate on fulfilling their respective obligations and commitments and refrain from any and all unilateral actions which threaten to prejudge the outcome of final status negotiations and undermine efforts at building confidence on the ground. Our shared goal remains the realization of a two- State solution: Israel and a democratic, viable and territorially contiguous State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. With regard to Iraq, Greece underlines the importance of its territorial integrity and unity in the framework of a federal system. We remain particularly concerned, however, about the ongoing violence, which makes it imperative to follow the timetable of the political process that will lead the country to normalcy, which is of vital importance for peace and stability in the entire region. We fully support Iraq in this difficult mission. 23 My country has a long, historic relationship with the African continent and its peoples. We have witnessed with great concern the series of conflict situations that have been plaguing Africa for many years. We are following developments in all cases and are trying to make positive contributions, whether in the Sudan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo or other countries of West Africa, in the settlement of the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and elsewhere. The emerging pivotal role of the African Union in dealing with African crises has our full support and deep appreciation. Last Friday, we adopted a historic declaration, which constitutes a new and important step in the direction of enforcing collective security and strengthening the United Nations capacity to deal with the new challenges and threats that our societies are facing today. Our efforts should now focus on the implementation of the commitments made, so that generations to come can live in a better and more secure world.