Greece addressed the UN regarding the central importance of implementing Security Council resolutions and upholding international law with regard to the Cyprus issue. Ioannis Stamatekos, Greece’s Deputy Permanent Representative, spoke at an Arria-format meeting of the Security Council on the topic “Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security,” organized by the Permanent Missions of Pakistan and China to the UN, at United Nations Headquarters.

Mr. Stamatekos noted, among other things, that “the Cyprus issue is a prime example,” emphasizing that “respect for and adherence to Security Council Resolutions 541 and 550 must serve as a guiding principle for Member States in addressing this issue.”

Referring to the relevant Security Council decisions, Mr. Stamatekos recalled that, through Resolutions 541 and 550, the Council “called upon all states to respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and not to recognize the secessionist, illegal entity or to assist it in any way.”

Greece also reiterated its broader position on the maintenance of international peace and security, noting that “it firmly believes that their maintenance can be achieved only through the establishment and consolidation of the rule of law.”

In this context, Mr. Stamatekos reaffirmed that he attaches “great importance to the primacy and respect for the United Nations Charter and international law.”

Source: CNA