FM Gerapetritis: Greece expanding its diplomatic imprint; Tassoulas: We side with International Law

Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis and President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas attended the graduation ceremony of the 79th class of embassy attaché trainees on Tuesday, held at the foreign ministry at 13:00.

Gerapetritis spoke of the current times as the most challenging of the 80-year post-WWII world, "with armed conflicts taking place outside our neighborhood, (and) great crises that are assuming a universal nature." These call for "a different approach to our world," which Greece has managed by constantly increasing its diplomatic imprint in the world.

As examples he cited Greece's membership as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2027, and the alliances it has built globally. During these difficult times, Gerapetritis said, Greece "is not simply present, but gradually more powerful."

On his part, President Tassoulas, who handed out the certificates of completion, spoke of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and underlined that "only Ukraine can decide on its own issues, which relate to its sovereignty and its territorial integrity," while he warned that "a solution in Ukraine's absence comprises indirect recognition and rewarding of revisionist views, globally."

As an example, he cited Turkiye's claims on Cyprus and in the Aegean. International Law is not simply a political choice, but something greater than that, Tassoulas said. Addressing the graduates, he said, "the global developments with which you will busy yourselves from the start of your career are therefore extremely interesting, ladies and gentlemen."