Briefing of diplomatic correspondents by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lana Zochiou (02.10.2025)

L. ZOCHIOU: Welcome to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I will begin with a statement οn the latest developments regarding the Global Sumud Flotilla.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation. We remain in constant communication with our Embassy in Tel Aviv. The Ambassador of Greece to Israel will visit the 27 Greek citizens. In previous days, as well as this morning, the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made formal demarches to the Israeli authorities, raising the issue of ensuring the protection and safety of Greek citizens.

Yesterday a Joint Declaration was issued by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Greece and Italy, calling on the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety and security of the participants and to allow for all consular protection measures. Moreover, an appeal was made to the participants of the Flotilla to accept the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem's offer to safely deliver aid intended in solidarity with the children, women, and men of Gaza.

According to the latest information, the Greek citizens are in good health and there is no indication that violence was exercised against them. In coordination with other countries whose citizens also participate in the Flotilla and are currently in Israel, the necessary actions will be taken vis-à-vis the Israeli authorities to ensure that the required consular assistance is provided.

According to the information we have received, procedures for the registration, verification, and subsequently deportation of the participants will follow. At the moment, our main priority is the safety of our citizens.

I will now proceed with a review of the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly. As you are all aware, the Minister participated in the proceedings of the High-Level Week. Allow me to highlight some important points.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs participated in the International Conference on the Two-State Solution, co-organized by France and Saudi Arabia. At this point, I would like to reiterate that Greece remains committed to a two-state solution, based on International Law and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, which was also emphasized by the Minister during his intervention at the Security Council. Greece continues to consider that the recognition of the Palestinian state must be part of a political process, which, of course, presupposes the relaunching of that process.

Greece's priorities in this regard are as follows: immediate ceasefire, large-scale and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza, release of all hostages, and, of course, the strengthening of the Palestinian Authority.

In his intervention at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, the Minister of Foreign Affairs made detailed reference to Greece's active role in providing humanitarian assistance and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To briefly mention some examples: the airdropping of humanitarian aid; the operations for delivering Greek humanitarian aid through Egypt and Jordan; support for humanitarian organizations in Gaza, such as UNRWA and UNICEF; as well as the treatment of wounded children from Gaza in Greek hospitals.

He also participated in an event on the protection of journalists in Gaza, organized by France along with "Reporters Without Borders." In his intervention, he described attacks against journalists as unacceptable and stressed that journalists are civilians they must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. He also underlined that Greece leads the biennial resolution on "The Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity".

With regard to the Middle East and Gaza in particular, a Joint Statement on the protection of journalists in Gaza was issued by Greece and 20 other countries.

In addition, an emergency meeting of the Security Council was convened in response to the violations of Estonian airspace. During the session, the Minister of Foreign Affairs unequivocally condemned the violation of Estonia's airspace, as well as that of any member state and expressed Greece's full solidarity. He stressed that any violation of state borders, be it air, sea or land borders, constitutes a clear and flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Under Greece's Presidency for 2025, a ministerial meeting of the Forum of Ancient Civilizations also took place. In his intervention, the Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that Greece, under its Presidency and as a founding member of the Forum, attaches particular importance to intercultural dialogue and the timeless value of the cultural heritage of ancient civilizations.

Trilateral meetings were also held between Greece-Cyprus-Egypt, Greece-Cyprus-Jordan, and Greece-Cyprus-Syria. During the trilateral meeting between Greece-Cyprus-Syria the importance of good neighborly relations was underlined and the Minister of Foreign Affairs specifically emphasized Greece's unwavering interest in the protection of Christian populations in the region and particularly in Syria. He also highlighted the need for inclusive governance, without any exceptions or exclusions of religious and ethnic communities. During the trilateral meeting in New York, the three Foreign Ministers essentially agreed on the establishment of technical committees aimed at enhancing coordination and cooperation in specific and targeted areas such as the economy, investments and the exchange of expertise in the tourism sector. The next trilateral meeting was agreed to be held in Cyprus by the end of 2025.

Regarding the bilateral meetings, the Minister of Foreign Affairs had a series of contacts, primarily to promote Greece's positions and, of course, to advance the priorities of Greece's tenure in the UN Security Council. I will briefly elaborate on the bilateral meeting held with the Foreign Minister of Egypt. In addition to the trilateral meeting with the Republic of Cyprus, there was also a separate bilateral meeting with Mr. Abdelatty, during which they discussed - apart from our strategic partnership, which we are working to further develop - the issue of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai. Following the election of the new Archbishop, technical discussions are now underway. The two Foreign Ministers remain in regular contact to reach, as soon as possible, a solution that will permanently safeguard the Greek Orthodox character of the Monastery and, of course, preserve it as an active place of worship. I would like to inform you that in the coming period, the ordination of the new Archbishop will take place in Jerusalem, which the Minister of Foreign Affairs will attend.

I would like to refer to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs' visit to Washington from September 17 to 19, before the UN General Assembly. The purpose of the visit was essentially to maintain the momentum in Greece-U.S. relations, and she held a series of highly constructive meetings with members of the U.S. Administration. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael Rigas, who is responsible for issues of religious freedom. Among other things, they discussed the situation of Christian populations in the Middle East. Ms. Papadopoulou also met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, Elbridge Colby, with whom she discussed recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. She also had contacts with members of the U.S. Congress, including the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, and the Ranking Member of the same Committee, Gregory Meeks. She also met with the co-chairs of the Hellenic Caucus, Gus Bilirakis and Chris Pappas, as well as with the newly elected Greek-American Congressman, Jimmy Patronis.

Regarding the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Tomorrow, the National Council on Foreign Policy will convene under his chairmanship. The agenda will focus on Greece's participation in the 80th UN General Assembly. On October 8 and 9, he will travel to Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland. Immediately after, he will travel to Luxembourg, where he will be the keynote speaker on the topic of EU Law at the University of Luxembourg, alongside the President of the Court of Justice of the EU.

As regards Ms. Papadopoulou's program, on October 7, political consultations between Greece and Egypt will take place under the Deputy Minister. These consultations concern issues of mutual interest, focusing primarily on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya. As you know, Greece has managed to engage in dialogue with both sides, Benghazi and Tripoli, at the highest level, and continues to maintain a functional and balanced relationship with both parties.

The most recent development was the visit of the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity of Libya to Athens, on September 17, marking the formal commencement of the process for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between Greece and Libya.

On September 17, the technical committees also convened for the first time. This was essentially an introductory meeting between the negotiating teams, during which it was agreed that the next meeting will take place in Tripoli during the fall. Other topics of discussion included strengthening cooperation in targeted sectors of the economy, particularly energy and transport. As you know, direct flights between Athens and Tripoli are set to begin in the near future. On the issue of migration, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that it is necessary to enhance cooperation, and Greece expressed its readiness to continue providing training to Libyan Coast Guard officers.

I would also like to mention the meeting that the Prime Minister had with the Special Advisor to President Trump for Africa, including Libya, Mr. Boulos, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will also travel to Slovenia, where she will participate in the Med9 Summit.

As for Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Theoharis, he will travel to Kuwait on October 6, to take part in the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council Ministerial Meeting, and on October 8-9 he will be in Brussels to participate in the EU's Global Gateway Forum.

Deputy Minister Mr. Loverdos will depart on October 6 for Australia and New Zealand.

That concludes my introductory remarks. Please feel free to ask any questions.

October 2, 2025