FM Gerapetritis: Greece will support universal compliance to Int'l Law at the UN Security Council

The Venezuelan people "have the inalienable right to decide on their future, with full respect of fundamental rights and the principles of democracy," Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis said on Monday, following the conclusion of his meeting with his counterpart of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, in Athens.

As Gerapetritis noted, at the extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council meeting taking place in New York, "Greece will support universal compliance with International Law." He added that members of the Security Council like Greece and Brahrain have a particular obligation to support principles and values that were the foundation of peace and prosperity in the world for the last 80 years.

Greece and Bahrain have agreed to work closely to boost their bilateral cooperation in several sectors, such as trade, investments and tourism. "We are both supporters of connectivity, through energy, transport, digital networks, human mobility, given that this is the foundation of intraregional cooperation on which universal security and stability are built," the Greek minister said.

Middle East region

The two ministers exchanged views on the Middle East and Gaza in particular. "We are looking forward to the importance of the consolidation of the ceasefire in Gaza, the transition to the next phase of the peace plan including the area's recovery and rebuilding, and to a comprehensive political process toward a two-state solution," he noted. "Greece is prepared to contribute to the implementation of the peace plan, given our strategic relations with the Arab world, particularly the support provided to the Palestinian Authority and certainly the relations with maintain with Israel," FM Gerapetritis said.

"Greece's strong presence at the core of all international organizations comprises the true guarantee of our country's substantial contribution to peace in this long-suffering region," the Greek minister added.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the fragile situation in Yemen, Somalia, and the Red Sea, a region to which Greece contributed substantially by leading the Aspides maritime operation to protect shipping. "It is of vital importance to avoid entering a new cycle of conflicts and crises in this critical region," Gerapetritis underlined.

Bahrain

As he had mentioned in the Manama Dialog Forum in November 2025, Bahrain is not simply a regional player, but a country with much greater geopolitical power than its geographical size, the Greek minister said. He added that "the Gulf, with its strategic polisition and diplomatic influence, plays a decisive role in global diplomacy."

FM Grapetritis thanked Bahrain's FM Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani for his country's support of Greece at all international fora, and said the two countries "have a notable convergence of views on political and justice issues." This shared viewpoint "is further cultivated by us in the framework of our joint presence in the UN Security Council," Gerapetritis added, welcoming Bahrain to its membership of the Security Council as of January 1, 2026, and conveying his good wishes for a successful term. "We will serve together at an exceptionally critical turnpoint for international multilateralism and the global security architecture, with multiple challenges and crises," the Greek FM said.

Gerapetritis further noted that Greece and Bahrain had "agreed to assume initiatives in sectors we have mutually set as priorities, such as maritime security on the basis of International Law and particularly of the Law of the Sea." He added, "As a historically maritime nation, with the greatest commercial fleet in the world, Greece attaches great importance to securing freedom of shipping and protection of maritime trade roads."