Greece, 2006

Allow me, Madam, to

add my heartiest congratulations to you on being the

third woman in the history of the United Nations to be

elected President of the General Assembly, particularly

at such a critical moment. Your election is an

inspiration for women everywhere who are struggling

to achieve equality and opportunity. You illustrate the

truth that, as Plato wrote 2,400 years ago, any society

that does not exploit the talents of its women is wasting

half of its resources. I also wish to congratulate and

thank your predecessor, my friend and colleague Jan

Eliasson, for all he worked so hard to achieve during

his term.

While we are recognizing service to the United

Nations, we would be remiss if we did not extend our

appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. I want

to express the appreciation of my Government for all

his efforts to maintain and strengthen the prestige and

moral authority of the Organization.

I would also like to welcome Montenegro to the

family of States.

(spoke in French)

Greece fully aligns itself with the statement made

by the President of Finland on behalf of the European

Union (EU). We would also like to express our views

on the major questions that the United Nations will be

dealing with in the session that is now opening.

It is just the beginning of the twenty-first century,

and the future looks threatening: we see poverty, war,

humanitarian crises, refugee flows, terrorism, arms

proliferation, human trafficking, drugs, sectarian

violence, environmental degradation and natural

disasters. In order to understand the full extent of these

calamities, we must identify and understand, and then

deal with, their roots, which have been formed over the

centuries. We have to unite the force of our ideas and

resources and mobilize what we have in common —

that is, our humanity. As taught to us by the

philosopher Isocrates, the condition for peace is not

money, which buys men, or force, which subjugates

them; it is the all-encompassing power of goodwill.

The United Nations is a unique forum, the place

where, as individuals and as nations, we offer the best

of ourselves. We need this Organization to be strong

and productive. We draw from it the strength that frees

us from mistrust to overcome conflicts, the strength

that allows us to move forwards towards greater

understanding and tolerance.

Terrorism is the scourge of our times. It is a blind

evil that takes no account of our religion, our race or

our gender. This danger must be confronted

collectively. It is neither possible nor desirable to

confront it alone. We will firmly support the efforts

undertaken by the Security Council’s Counter-

Terrorism Committee, and we are prepared to provide

it with all necessary assistance. Finally, we would like

to support the counter-terrorism policy that the

Secretary-General will soon be presenting to the

General Assembly. The best way to confront terrorism

is to promote peace, tolerance, the acceptance of others

and, above all, development: no longer to abandon

anyone by the wayside and to give everyone the

opportunity to access what is essential for life.

In the light of what I have said, and bearing in

mind the General Assembly’s main theme for this

year — to create a global partnership for

development — this is both timely and appropriate.

Translating this vision into fact must happen at the

global level, and for this we need significant

participation by all countries in the economic and

financial decision-making process. The International

Monetary Fund’s recent decision to increase the voting

rights of countries such as China and India is an

important step in the right direction.

The news coming from the Doha round, however,

is not encouraging. The clock is ticking; and each day

it becomes even more important for all parties to put

their shoulders to the wheel to reach an agreement,

with the objective of creating an effective multilateral

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trading system. The winners will be the developing

countries — but also the developed countries.

Equally important is the need to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals in line with the agenda

established by heads of State or Government at the

Summits of 2000 and 2005. Among our objectives,

clearly, is to reach the critical threshold of 0.7 per cent

of gross national income to be allocated for official

development assistance to the countries most seriously

affected by economic difficulties. That is the keystone

of a global partnership for development, which we are

committed to forging as soon as possible.

Developing countries, for their part, need to

follow sensible economic policies. They need to

undertaken reforms that will encourage growth, and

they need to finally improve governance by creating

institutions that are accountable and operate with

complete transparency. It is only together, through

collective action, that we will be able to correct the

inequalities that are at the root of many of the conflicts

in the world.

Allow me to stress in this respect that Africa must

be the highest of our priorities. We must pay heed to

the dormant conflicts in West Africa, East Africa and

Central Africa if we want to avoid the kinds of crises

being played out in the Sudan and other countries on

the continent. The African Union is best placed to put

an end to these conflicts, and we must help it by

finding lasting solutions to the problems that make life

so cruel in very many of these regions.

Another urgent need is to act effectively and

speedily to put an end to the suffering of the

populations of these countries, so that we no longer see

babies dying of AIDS when a few dollars’ worth of

medicines can save them.

(spoke in English)

The tensions in the Middle East demand equal

attention. The Middle East is the region that will test

the mettle of this Organization as a force for peace in

the immediate future. If we fail in that test, all of us

stand to pay a heavy price. During the past several

months, we all witnessed unforgettable images of

suffering and destruction in that part of the world.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the root of

most problems in the region, and it is obvious that it

should be at the top of the list of our priorities if peace

and stability are to return to that area. The Road Map

offers the strategic plan for a solution based on the

principle of land for peace, especially since basic

elements of it are well known and generally accepted

by the international community. The Road Map is in

essence a performance-driven guide to a settlement

based on all relevant Security Council resolutions,

including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and

on the conclusions of the Madrid Conference and the

Beirut Arab Summit. We must all make every effort to

see that they are implemented.

On Lebanon, strict implementation of Security

Council resolution 1701 (2006) provides the blueprint

for resolving the basic problems that led to the recent

crisis. We understand the difficulties before us, but we

must push ahead resolutely, because determination and

tenacity are essential to tackling long-standing issues

in volatile regions.

The continued violence and instability in Iraq are

a cause of great concern for all of us. It is critical that

every possible effort be made to bring order and unity

to that troubled country. Deaths, especially of civilians,

have reached terrifying levels, with no end in sight to

the slaughter. All who have any influence with the

warring factions in Iraq must try to make them see

what pain and suffering they have inflicted on their

own people and what yet worse horrors they will

unleash on their land if they continue to drift towards a

devastating civil war.

Our own region, the Balkans, was once known as

history’s cauldron. We endured a century of bitter

ethnic, religious and ideological conflicts, up to very

recent times. We are moving rapidly, however, to

disown that label for the sake of our own peoples and

of the new Europe we are building. Some trouble spots

remain, but we are trying to deal with them in a new

spirit of cooperation and tolerance.

Kosovo is one issue that still needs attention. The

status talks are under way, and we hope that they will

produce a viable settlement that will strengthen the

security and stability of the entire region. Right now,

this appears difficult. To overcome the impasse will

require patient and careful diplomacy. Our goal in

reaching a viable long-term solution should not be

compromised by setting an artificial deadline.

I deeply regret the fact that the Cyprus problem

remains unresolved. For all 32 years of the military

occupation of one third of the territory of Cyprus by

well over 40,000 Turkish troops, Greece has strongly

23 06-53323

supported every United Nations initiative aimed at the

achievement of a comprehensive solution. We are

committed to doing everything possible to achieve a

just and viable solution, on the basis of the pertinent

Security Council resolutions and of EU principles and

values. We strive for a bizonal, bicommunal federation

that will bring peace and prosperity to the island. Our

goal remains a solution agreed between the two

communities without arbitration and tight timetables,

to be approved subsequently by referendums. To those

efforts we are prepared to lend our wholehearted

support.

Greece’s foreign and security policy is based on

the principles enshrined in the Charter, especially those

relating to the peaceful settlement of disputes and

good-neighbourly relations. This basic framework is

also reflected in my country’s continuing efforts to

further improve relations with Turkey and to

consolidate mutual understanding and cooperation. For

our part, we are trying to overcome the remaining

difficulties and are continuing to take initiatives to

widen and deepen cooperation in all fields so that the

relationship with Turkey becomes a win-win situation

for both countries. In this context, we are hopeful that

Turkey will reciprocate so that our countries can

solidify good-neighbourly relations.

European integration is the bright promise on the

horizon for the entire region of South-Eastern

Europe — a future which will encompass greater

cooperation and interaction among all the countries in

the area and at long last heal the wounds of the past

century.

We live in a troubled world, and the United

Nations is always enmeshed in the worst of the

troubles so that it sometimes seems that it is not

accomplishing much. We must not forget, however, the

conflicts it has resolved, the misery it has diminished,

the suffering it has relieved and the pain it has eased all

over the world in its brief lifetime.

“Man feeds on dreams of hope”, Aeschylus

wrote. For men, women and children everywhere, the

United Nations remains the best hope there is.