Cyprus a ‘litmus test’ of UN’s credibility, Mitsotakis tells general assembly

Cyprus is a “litmus test” of the United Nations’ credibility, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his address to the general assembly in New York. He said the eastern Mediterranean “still bears an open wound – the unresolved Cyprus issue”, and that “52 years have passed since Turkey illegally invaded Cyprus and continued to occupy it” in what he described as “a flagrant violation of international law whose consequences persist to this day for the United Nations”. “Cyprus remains a litmus test of its credibility, of its ability to uphold its own resolutions and the principles of the charter, and Greece fully supports the recent efforts of Secretary-General Guterres to create the appropriate conditions for the resumption of substantive negotiations,” he said. He added that “we sincerely hope that progress can be achieved during his remaining time in office”, with Antonio Guterres’ second and final term as UN secretary-general expiring at the end of December. Related Articles • Netanyahu tells UN Erdogan ‘illegally occupies northern Cyprus’ • Christodoulides calls out Erdogan’s ‘highest form’ of hypocrisy • Erdogan: Turkish Cypriots’ equal international status must be recognised “We expect these efforts to continue under his successor with the same objective: the reunification of Cyprus, free of occupation forces, and in accordance with the relevant UN security council resolutions,” he said. He went on to say that “the principles at stake in Cyprus are being tested elsewhere today”, and that “two other major conflicts continue to challenge our ability to defend the values upon which this organization was founded”. One such conflict, he said, is the war in Ukraine, which is “now in its fifth year, five years since Russia’s full-scale aggression brought back war to European soil”. “The Ukrainian people have shown extraordinary courage defending their freedom and Greece continuously stands with them. Diplomacy must now deliver an immediate ceasefire and a lasting peace anchored in the principles of the United Nations charter,” he said. EU must ‘play a more active role’ in Sudan Following this, he said, “Ukraine must have a decisive say in its own future, and Europe cannot be absent from these negotiations”. He then added that “another devastating war demands our urgent attention”, before saying that the war in Sudan has “resulted in a staggering humanitarian catastrophe”. “Reports of atrocious war crimes continue to emerge, while the conflict is fuelling instability way beyond far beyond Sudan’s borders. We should not permit this tragedy to endure. Foreign interference must also cease with no impunity for war crimes,” he said. In Sudan, he added, “ultimately, the way forward lies in a credible, Sudanese-led political process that reflects the aspirations of the citizens Sudan”, though he stressed that the European Union “ought to leverage its capacity to play a more active role in supporting that process and assisting in bringing this destructive conflict to an end”. He also made extensive reference to the UN convention on the law of the sea (Unclos), with the Republic of Cyprus and Greece locked in disputes with Turkey over maritime jurisdiction. Turkey is not a signatory to Unclos as it believes the convention offers too much weight to the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones generated by islands. “Few examples [of multilateralism] are more powerful than the United Nations convention on the law of the sea. With 172 parties, Unclos provides the binding legal framework within which disputes can be managed peacefully rather than through force, and from the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific,” he said. Despite this dispute, however, he said that “over the past three years, we have made a sustained effort to improve our relationship” with Turkey, and “rebuild trust and keep channels of communication open in order to prevent the escalation of tensions that could lead to unwanted crises”. Relations with Turkey ‘delicate’ Greece’s relationship with Turkey, he said, “is a delicate relationship” and “a relationship that carries the weight of history”, and one which, given the broader international picture, “urgently calls for a common understanding on how we move forward and understanding grounded in full respect for international law”. “After all, as I’ve said repeatedly, we cannot change our geography. We are destined to live side by side,” he said, before returning to Unclos and saying that the convention “provides the only institutional framework to solve our only long-lasting dispute” over maritime jurisdiction. On this front, he said that “dialogue is essential for peace and prosperity, but meaningful dialogue cannot coexist with unilateral actions that challenge the international order”. He added that at the same time, “nor can meaningful progress be made when faced with threats of war in response to the exercise of lawful rights, according to international law”. Regarding the Middle East, he said that “Greece will continue to advocate for a two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security”, but warned that “developments in the West Bank remain a source of deep concern”. “Actions that are illegal under international law and undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state cannot be allowed to continue. We strongly argue that this is also to the benefit of the long-term security of Israel itself,” he said, in reference to plans to construct the controversial “E1” settlement east of Jerusalem. Later in his speech, he referenced the Great Sea Interconnector project which, if completed, will link the energy grids of Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, saying that “we leverage our unique geographic positions to become a provider of energy security to our northern neighbours”.