Greece, 2013

I

congratulate Mr. John Ashe on his election as President

of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session.

I convey my deep gratitude and appreciation to the

Secretary-General for his work to strengthen the

role and effectiveness of the United Nations, fully

supporting the principles of the Charter of the United

Nations.

I take this opportunity to emphasize my country’s

alignment with the positions of the European Union,

presented by the President of the European Council,

Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, in his address (see

A/68/PV.8).

Greece remains fully committed to the objectives

of the United Nations, whose universal ideals have

never ceased to inspire us. We are deeply committed

to our collective work for sustainable peace, prosperity

and safeguarding human dignity. In that spirit, we lend

our full support to the efforts to reform and strengthen

the Organization in order to meet the challenges of the

twenty-first century.

We welcome the special event on the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) and the High-Level

Political Forum that took place this week and highlighted

the broad themes of international development and

cooperation.

The effective management of migration can have

a positive impact on the countries of origin and of

destination. The High-Level Dialogue on International

Migration and Development to be held on 3 and 4 October

presents an important opportunity to develop a global

agenda for the effective and inclusive management of

migration and to reaffirm the necessary political will.

Greece is committed to participating actively in joint

efforts to that end.

Greece and the other countries of southern Europe

are under great pressure with regard to the issue of illegal

immigration, which weighs heavily on our financial and

administrative capacities. The effective management

of migration represents for our country a key political

option in that it relates directly to safeguarding and

respecting human rights, social cohesion and public

security, and to maintaining the economic stability

of our countries. On the basis of our experience of

recent years, we have reviewed our national action

plan to reform the system of asylum and immigration.

Furthermore, migration and mobility issues will be

among the priorities of the Greek presidency of the

European Council in the first term of 2014.

The promotion of human rights is a priority interest.

Greece will lend its full support to strengthening the

Human Rights Council with a solid mandate. Greece is

determined to contribute actively to the mission of the

Human Rights Council and is presenting its candidature

for the 2017–2019 term. Greece is strongly devoted to

the decisive role of the United Nations in peace and

security. In spite of financial restraints, we remain

firmly committed to peacekeeping operations, to which

we contribute personnel and resources, including to the

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. We support

efforts to prevent conflicts and promote the peaceful

settlement of disputes. Moreover, we attach particular

importance to cooperation between the European

Union and the United Nations in the field of crisis

management, and we welcome the work undertaken to

further strengthen that cooperation.

(spoke in English)

The relaunching of peace negotiations between

Israel and the Palestinian Authority, facilitated by the

United States, provides an important opportunity to

reach a final settlement to this long-standing problem,

to the benefit and stability in the wider region, based

on a two-State solution with a secure Israel and a

sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestine living side

by side. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President

Abbas must be praised for their leadership and courage

to engage in the peace talks. Now is the time to take

bold and concrete steps towards peace.

Greece is very concerned with the ongoing

crisis in Syria, which jeopardizes stability in a very

fragile region. Greece and the European Union have

unequivocally condemned the use of chemical weapons,

and we strongly support the United States-Russian

Federation initiative for the collection and destruction

of Syria’s chemical arsenal. We welcome the diplomatic

breakthrough expected to be achieved by the Security

Council on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

It is our fervent hope that it will be a crucial turning

point in the Syrian crisis, providing vital momentum

towards a “Geneva II”-type process that can take us to

a viable and inclusive political resolution of the Syrian

crisis.

Greece has always been a firm supporter of a

European future for the Balkan region. The process

of European integration means leaving behind old,

divisive mentalities and moving towards an era of close

cooperation, on the basis of shared values and principles.

Demonstrating political courage, Belgrade and Pristina

concluded an historic agreement in April, which is a

major development towards consolidating peace and

stability in the Western Balkans and advancing the

European integration of both sides.

We seek to develop our relations with the former

Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on the basis of the

principles of the Charter of the United Nations and

within the framework of good neighbourly relations.

Greece is committed to the ongoing United Nations-

led negotiation process and to finding a solution on

the issue of a name. We therefore continue our efforts

to reach a mutually acceptable name for all uses, erga

omnes, that will leave no grey areas and allow for a clear

distinction between our neighbouring country and the

region of Macedonia in northern Greece. The solution

of the name issue will enable both Greece and its

neighbour to develop multidimensional and productive

cooperation at the bilateral and regional levels. It will

also contribute to the stability and prosperity of South-

East Europe and boost the country’s Euro-Atlantic

aspirations.

Thirty-nine years after the Turkish military invasion

of the island, the Cyprus problem remains first and

foremost an issue of illegal military occupation of well

over one third of the territory of a Member State of the

United Nations and European Union. A comprehensive

agreed settlement of that major international problem is

a top priority for the foreign policy of Greece. In that

context, Greece greatly values the Secretary-General’s

mission of good offices, in particular his ongoing efforts

to successfully relaunch the intercommunal negotiating

process. We also fully support President Anastasiadis’

renewed constructive package proposal.

We hope that Ankara will decide at long last to

pursue a new policy of normalization of its relations

with the Republic of Cyprus. Such a Turkish policy

would decisively facilitate the relaunching of

intercommunal negotiations on a just and viable

solution to the Cyprus issue within the framework of

the relevant Security Council resolutions, in line with

the acquis communautaire and approved by the Cypriot

people through a referendum. The new developments

in the energy sector regarding the exploitation of

hydrocarbons can serve as a factor for development,

peace and stability throughout the region.

Relations with our neighbour Turkey are set on

a positive course. Institutionalized cooperation at

the highest governmental level, as well as increasing

tourism and economic cooperation, can create further

potential for the future. Nevertheless, critical factors

needed to promote substantial and promising prospects

for our relationship with our eastern neighbour are full

respect for international law and international legality

and, within this framework, a just and viable solution

to the Cyprus issue.

The Greek people have succeeded in restoring

the country’s credibility. Greece has already

achieved the highest structural primary surplus in the

Eurozone — 5 per cent of gross domestic product. Greece

has achieved a peacetime historical first — a fiscal

adjustment of 19 per cent of gross domestic product

in the four years from 2009 to 2013. We have done so

in spite of six years of recession. We have carried out

necessary structural reforms in public administration,

the investment sector and the labour market, and our

privatization programme is already yielding results. But

all of that has, of course, come through great sacrifices

borne by the Greek people and at a very high social

and political cost. Defending democracy and the rule of

law against forms of racist, xenophobic conduct and all

forms of social violence is a fundamental engagement

of the Hellenic Republic.

I also wish to say a few words about the priorities

of Greece’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the

European Union in the first half of 2014. Coming at

a time of unprecedented economic challenges for the

Union, our presidency will carry forward the vital

debate on the future of Europe — a debate that will

intensify as we approach next year’s European elections.

All the issues that humankind is facing and that are

being dealt with by General Assembly at this session

highlight the need to enhance the role of the United

Nations and to further consolidate the institutions of

global economic and political governance. The hopes of

the international community are oriented towards the

United Nations. Our Organization has to send a strong

and clear message of peace, security and prosperity

to the peoples of the world, particularly the younger

generation.