The Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN expressed his gratitude to the member states that voted for Greece and his sense of responsibility for Greece’s participation in the Security Council at a critical international juncture, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris in his speech during the flag-raising ceremony of the countries that make up the Security Council, which marks the beginning of the term of office of the newly elected member states.

He congratulated Denmark, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia on their election and acknowledged “the outstanding service of outgoing members” Ecuador, Japan, Switzerland, Malta, and Mozambique over the past two years.

The Greek Permanent Representative reaffirmed “Greece’s commitment to the principles of the UN Charter,” stressing that “our country’s foreign policy is based on values such as international law and dedication to peace.”

Mr. Sekeris reiterated Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis’ statement that “Greece looks forward to acting as a stabilizing factor, acting as a bridge between North and South, East and West, while contributing to the restoration of the true meaning of the principle of peaceful resolution of disputes” and stressed that our country “during its term of office in the Security Council will meet its responsibilities with consistency and integrity.”

In closing, Sekeris said a few words in Greek, underlining the importance of this moment for Greece on the international scene.

The speech of Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris in Greek:

“It is with pride and a sense of responsibility that the flag of Greece is raised in this beautiful symbolic ceremony, as our country assumes the position of non-permanent member of the Security Council for the two years 2025-2026 at a particularly critical juncture.

Greece becomes, in practice, a co-producer of international policy for global security architecture, with a substantial voice, role, and responsibility in global developments. Committed to the pursuit of a foreign policy of principles and values and international law, our country looks forward to acting as a stabilizing factor, to being the bridge between North and South, East and West, and to contributing to the restoration of the true meaning of the imperative for the peaceful resolution of disputes. To uphold the purpose of the Organization, namely, to unite all the nations of the world to work for peace, we will, during our two-year term, engage in bilateral and multilateral synergies with all United Nations States, promoting multilateral diplomacy and the principles of the United Nations Charter.