Greece, 2010

I would like to thank the

President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth

session, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki of Libya, for his

tireless efforts in taking forward the Assembly’s work

and to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as

President at the sixty-fifth session.

I would also like at this point to fully align my

country’s positions with those expressed in the

statement of the European Union (EU). It is my firm

belief that the General Assembly would greatly benefit

from arrangements that would allow EU

representatives to fulfil their responsibilities in an

effective manner at formal meetings.

We can all agree that the United Nations is the

only global entity that commands universal legitimacy

and is the Organization to which we should all look,

and actively support, in order to provide collective and

therefore optimal solutions to the ever-growing array

of multifaceted issues confronting us. It is a fact that

meeting the needs of our peoples increasingly

transcends the abilities of individual nation-States.

That is where the role of the United Nations comes to

the fore, and it is why our discussions on reforming

and revitalizing the Organization are of paramount

importance.

Climate change is the world’s greatest

environmental challenge. We all know that it will

increasingly affect all aspects of our lives, including

peace and security. We now need to focus all efforts in

order to secure a successful outcome of the upcoming

summit in Cancún.

The Greek Government is proposing a new

Mediterranean Climate Change Initiative, in close

collaboration with Mediterranean countries that are

strongly committed to climate and energy security. A

formal launch of the Initiative is planned on

22 October in Athens, ahead of the Cancún summit. In

the same vein, the central theme of our Chairmanship-

in-Office of the Organization of the Black Sea

Economic Cooperation is “the Black Sea turns green”.

The recent global economic and financial crisis

has left few countries unaffected. Greece was no

exception, despite the tough and radical reform agenda

we are implementing that is setting the country steadily

back on its feet. Efforts for a more efficient and

concrete global financial regulatory framework are

necessary. In that regard, I welcome the results of the

High-level Meeting on the Millennium Development

Goals, and I commend the Secretary-General for his

timely initiative.

Greece continues to support all efforts for an

effective and efficient Human Rights Council with

enhanced status, mandate, structures and membership.

Greece will actively defend the relevance of the

Human Rights Council through its candidacy for the

years 2012 to 2015.

Promoting effective interaction and coordination

between the United Nations and regional organizations

must be one of our key priorities. We consider the

upcoming 2010 summit of the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) a major

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milestone in the European security dialogue — the

well-known Corfu Process, launched by the Greek

OSCE Chairmanship in 2009.

Greece has made a commitment especially to our

region and its people. A key factor for bringing

stability and development to our region is good-

neighbourliness, a fundamental principle that together

with the other principles set out in the Charter of the

United Nations constitutes the cornerstone of

contemporary international legal order.

The Balkans —our immediate neighbourhood —

is still a sensitive area in terms of stability. The dust

from the dissolution of Yugoslavia has not yet settled.

Greece’s vision for the Balkans is of a region in which

democracy finally becomes the norm, where citizens’

aspirations can finally be realized through peaceful and

democratic practices, where the rights of minorities are

respected, and where Governments are accountable,

economies are transparent and politics allow for the

fullest participation of all elements of society.

In order to breathe new life into the prospect of

the Balkans’ integration into the European Union,

Greece has put forward a new initiative known as

Agenda 2014. There are still open wounds in our

region — Kosovo being the most pressing — and we

must ensure that this time the European Union will be

present with a strong voice. The European prospect for

our entire region can boost the political process that is

about to begin on Kosovo. At the same time, we need

to keep an open and clear path for Serbia to begin

accession negotiations with the European Union.

Another open issue in the Balkans revolves

around the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia. That is not a bilateral, pedantic dispute

about historic symbols, as some may try to portray it,

but a regional question with deep historical roots

related to good-neighbourliness. A compromise on the

name issue is needed. Greece has already done its part.

A fair and lasting solution can be based only on a name

with a geographic qualifier to be used for all purposes,

erga omnes. Let me explain why.

Macedonia is a large geographic region, most of

which lies in Greece. A small part is in the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and a smaller part in

Bulgaria. The part cannot represent the whole, and the

exclusive claims of the former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia to the name “Macedonia” cannot be

allowed to fuel nationalism. Any solution must be

universally implemented, because otherwise today’s

situation will simply be perpetuated. We have

intensified our efforts to reach a settlement in the

context of the established United Nations negotiating

process, led by Mr. Nimetz.

I chose the General Assembly, which is the

natural forum for solving international disputes, to

declare once again Greece’s readiness to reach a

solution, even tomorrow, and to call upon Prime

Minister Gruevski to display leadership and become

our partner for progress, progress that will result in a

bright and prosperous future for our neighbours in the

European Union — a future we wish to see become a

reality soon. Greece is extending a hand of friendship

and cooperation. The time has come for our neighbours

to take that hand.

The Arab-Israeli conflict is again at a turning

point. The resumption of direct talks was a significant

achievement, but only the beginning. Now our number

one priority is to sustain that dialogue and for it to bear

fruit. Both sides have an obligation to show respect for

that fragile diplomatic process. Actions that threaten its

very existence, like Israeli settlement construction,

must be avoided in order to prevent the negotiations

from becoming one more exercise in futility.

I would like to thank the Secretary-General and

all those who labour with him for a just solution in

Cyprus, a solution based on United Nations resolutions

for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with one

international personality, one citizenship and one

sovereignty, a solution in full conformity with the

acquis communautaire.

Cyprus is a tragic example of where our shared

sense of justice — our shared code of values — has

gone astray. Cyprus is the victim of military invasion

and remains occupied by foreign troops. That is the

truth; that is reality, and it must end. We need to move

beyond that situation. It will take courage from

everyone involved. It is a matter of political will,

resolution and determination, such as that displayed by

President Christofias.

I extend my appeal to the Turkish Cypriots. We

want you near us, in our wider European family. The

participation of a reunited Cyprus in the European

Union means that every Cypriot enjoys safety, equality

under the law, protection of their human rights,

appropriate representation and security under a

European roof. Let me be clear: in the modern

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European environment, relics of the past, such as

guarantor Powers, seem and sound anachronistic and

completely out of touch.

Turkey can prove its commitment to a lasting

solution to the Cyprus issue by withdrawing its

occupation forces from the island, thus boosting both

the negotiation process and its own European

perspective.

Greek-Turkish relations are an important

parameter for the stability of the region. Burdened by a

heavy historical past as we are, it is not an easy task to

change course and turn a long-standing rivalry into

good-neighbourliness, free from the threat of the use of

force or unfounded territorial claims. Respect for

international law is the sole basis for a healthy and

peaceful relationship between our two countries.

We have opened a dialogue, one that is honest,

and although we may and do differ on many issues,

such as how we see Cyprus and how we approach our

bilateral relations, this open approach can only lead to

a progressive resolution of our problems. The Turkish

leadership and the people of Turkey know we are

honest in what we say and in our desire for a new and

peaceful relationship. I strongly believe our mutual

interests can outweigh our political differences. We can

and must resolve these differences through peaceful

means, and a possible way to go is through the

International Court of Justice.

I do not want to give the false impression that all

our problems have suddenly been resolved. It is most

distressing that a variety of statements and acts still

undermine this very genuine and difficult effort. The

long-standing threat of war, the casus belli against my

country, is unacceptable and has no place in our

European and global family of values and principles.

There are those who certainly may wish that our

efforts fail, but it is our historical duty to overcome

those difficulties and maintain the momentum in

response to our peoples’ mandate and their desire for

peace.

We look forward to the day when Belgrade and

Pristina will be an easy bus ride away, when Jerusalem

and Damascus, Athens and Ankara and, of course, the

two parts of divided Nicosia will no longer be

separated by fear and suspicion, but will be joined in

peace. Those were the words used and the vision

expressed by George Papandreou, today’s Prime

Minister of Greece, in his very first address to the

General Assembly as Greek Foreign Minister in 1999

(see A/54/PV.9). Allow me repeat those words and

vision in my first address to this body in the same

capacity. This is a wish and vision that, I think, we all

share.