FM Gerapetritis statements after meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart
"The Greek government unequivocally condemns Iran's large-scale attacks against Israel, attacks that constitute a serious worsening of the already critical situation in the region," Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said in statements after his meeting on Monday with the Foreign Minister of Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
Gerapetritis said that the necessary restraint should prevail, as the region and the entire world can't withstand a further spread of hostilities".
He noted that Ghana was a nation friendly to Greece, an important and reliable partner of the European Union, and an established democracy in an extremely fragile region.
"We highly appreciate your active presence in international organisations, three terms in the Security Council of the United Nations as a non-permanent member, in an extremely difficult period for the world, but also as a member of the current composition of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Commission for the return of cultural goods to their countries of origin. A position and an issue of particular sensitivity for Greece," he said.
Gerapetritis thanked Ghana for its commitment to support Greece's candidacy as a non-permanent member of UN Security Council for the period 2025-2026, as well as in the Human Rights Council for the period 2028-2030.
He also noted that Greece is deeply concerned over "the general destabilisation in the Sahel zone and Sub-Saharan Africa as well as the spread of terrorism".
"We share the concern that a possible extension of instability may have an impact on migration flows and navigational safety, but also the re-emergence of the phenomenon of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea", he pointed out and added that it is appropriate for the EU to be in coordination with regional organisations such as the African Union and ECOWAS.
"We look forward to the meeting of next European Union-African Union Ministerial Conference," he stressed.
"Greece is always among the countries that accelerate and encourage the cooperation of the EU with the countries of Africa and particularly with the Republic of Ghana."
On bilateral relations, he said that one of the six pillars of Greece's candidacy to the UN Security Council is the management of the climate crisis, an area on which we can cooperate more, a common challenge for humanity and for both countries.
Gerapetritis also pointed out that cooperation between the two countries has huge potential to be further expanded in the fields of culture, economy, energy and trade. "In the context of trade, in mid-May, a Greek business delegation will go to Accra, in which all sectors of the Greek economy will be represented," he said.
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