The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque contradicts any notion of respect for cultural heritage and cultural rights, to which Greece attaches particular importance, said Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias at the sitting of the High-Level Segment of the 46th UN Human Rights Council Session. The intervention was recorded.
He added that competent bodies such as UNESCO should also be taken into account.
The Greek Finance Minister pointed out that the Human Rights Council has the tools to make a positive contribution to the global efforts to protect human rights and stressed that Greece considered it the appropriate way for international and regional cooperation in the framework of the country’s foreign policy in the field of human rights.
In addition, Nikos Dendias referred to the Greek actions and initiatives within the Human Rights Council, as well as to the support that Greece has been providing to refugees and migrants, such as free health care, social welfare and education. He recalled the ongoing flux of migrants in the midst of a pandemic and the systematic attempts of state actors to instrumentalise human suffering. Finally, Nikos Dendias pointed out that the Greek Coast Guard had rescued over 319,000 refugees and immigrants in the period between 2015 and 2020.