Gerapetritis From the UN: “Greece at the Center of Diplomatic Attention” — Security Council Presidency in October

Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis gave a statement to Greek public television ERT on the fifth day of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, summarizing his diplomatic contacts and Greece’s presence on the international stage. He opened the statement on a human note, saying his thoughts were in Greece “and the catastrophic event” — a reference to the tragic September 25 explosion in Athens’ Plaka district.

At the center of his review were two important trilateral meetings: Greece–Cyprus–Jordan and Greece–Cyprus–Egypt, which the minister described as extremely important for the presence of Greece and Cyprus in the wider region — a region shaken by the wars and armed conflicts of the broader Middle East. Gerapetritis also held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of the Global South — among them those of Brazil, India and Eritrea, as well as countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America — stressing the importance of inter-regional cooperation.

A special place in the statement was taken by the joint Greece–India initiative for artificial intelligence in maritime transport — applying AI for maritime safety and freedom of navigation. “Artificial intelligence must have limits, and the limit is the advancement of people,” the minister said. Gerapetritis also took part in the founding session of the Group of Friends for the Safety and Protection of Maritime Transport and Seafarers, where freedom of navigation is a central demand for Greece as a leading maritime nation, but also a demand of a global character.

The minister announced that Greece takes over the UN Security Council presidency in October for the second time during its current term — in a critical period, with major armed conflicts on the Council’s agenda and with the election of the new UN Secretary-General, “a decisive choice for the future of the Organization.” “Greece is at the center of diplomatic attention. We are building a Greece with a strong diplomatic presence, with strong alliances, with a very intensive and very active foreign policy,” Gerapetritis declared.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly proceedings, the head of Greek diplomacy met separately with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to discuss bilateral and regional issues, according to Proto Thema.