Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met yesterday Thursday with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Organization’s headquarters in New York as part of the 77th UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, according to government sources, international and regional issues were discussed, especially issues of interest to Greece.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the position of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side is tantamount to a complete rejection of the decisions of the Security Council on a peaceful and fair settlement of the Cyprus issue within the framework of a bi-zone, bi-communal federation.

The Prime Minister, according to the same sources, also informed the Secretary General about the Turkish provocation, which manifests itself both in the upgrade of illegal demands and in terms of rhetoric. He confirmed that Athens always acts on the basis of international law, the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the principles of good neighborliness.

Meeting also with Al Menfi

Earlier, the prime minister also met with the head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, as part of his contacts in New York.

Government sources say they discussed the latest developments in Libya and expressed concern about the armed clashes that took place last month in Tripoli.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to avoid the use of violence and quickly restart the political process in order to adopt a constitutional framework that would allow simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections.

The same sources note that Kyriakos Mitsotakis has indicated that Greece will continue to support Libya and the new representative government to be formed based on the results of the vote.

He also reaffirmed Greece’s firm position regarding the immediate and complete withdrawal of all foreign forces present in Libyan territory, both regular and hired, as a necessary condition to ensure free elections and create a new environment without outside interference.

In addition, the Prime Minister briefed Mr. Al Menfi on the escalation of Turkish aggression and extreme rhetoric undermining stability and security in the region.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis underscored Greece’s interest in Libya and its people. He noted that Greece was the first European country to reopen its embassy in Tripoli and then opened a consulate general in Benghazi. He recalled that he and the ministers of the Greek government visited Libya, at the same time, Greece is constructively participating in efforts to break the political impasse in the neighboring country.

The prospect of assistance from Greece at a technical level for the protection and restoration of monuments and archaeological sites in Libya was also discussed, as Greece had a similar significant presence in the neighboring country in the past.

Source: RES-IPE