The humanitarian aspect of the war in Ukraine was at the centre of Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ discussion with the President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid in New York, on Wednesday evening.
In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis briefed Mr. Shahid on the Greek positions regarding the war in Ukraine, pointing out that our country stands firmly and unequivocally for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of independent states and against any use or threat to use force, according to the provisions of the UN Charter.
He also stressed the need to protect civilians, making a special reference to the Diaspora Greeks in Mariupol, who have been living in the area for centuries and are now suffering enormously.
Finally, Mr Varvitsiotis raised with the President of the UN General Assembly the issue of respect for International Law, with which Greece is consistently and firmly identified. He noted that part of International Law is also the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, which is binding upon 168 states and its role is particularly important for security in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean.