A critical conference of NATO foreign ministers is being held on Thursday at a particularly important juncture for humanity, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said on Thursday, upon his arrival at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
“The war in Ukraine continues to have grave consequences. A war that concerns not only the region, but concerns global stability and security in general. There should be an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, which will ensure the viability, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. And of course, it will have Ukraine as part of the discussion on its resolution,” he added.
Gerapetritis also referred to the discussion on the Southern Neighborhood, emphasising that “the discussion on the Southern Neighborhood – North Africa, the Middle East and the Sahel region – will be particularly important. This is the most vulnerable region in the world today. It is affected by multiple humanitarian crises and wars. The peace and prosperity of the peoples must be ensured, so that the region can gain the stability that is necessary for the global environment. Greece is particularly sensitive to the issues of irregular migration and freedom of navigation. And these issues will be raised by our country in the context of the discussion that will follow.”
The discussion will also focus on the issues of regional cooperation with the countries of the Indo-Pacific. This is an important cooperation, which will concern cybersecurity, hybrid threats, but also all other threats that are currently affecting the global economy and global security.
The foreign minister highlighted the importance of preserving the bond of the North Atlantic Alliance in an environment of major geopolitical changes. “Seventy-six years ago, on April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty was signed. Together with the United Nations and the European Union, it was, in fact, the basic structure on which the global security architecture was established for decades. It is extremely important to keep this bond intact, so that we can move forward together in an extremely complex environment with major geopolitical changes. It is important to maintain both our common values, our common views regarding security issues, but also to support an economy that will be prosperous. The imposition of unilateral restrictions on the movement of goods does not contribute to economic security. Any problems that exist in relation to global trade between allies should primarily be resolved on the basis of mutual understanding and dialogue.
Greece will maintain a creative stance. “It is in favour of the autonomy of the European Union and in favour of transatlantic cooperation. And we will seek to cooperate by every means for the benefit of the common good and interest,” Gerapetritis stressed.
