Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Friday made the following statement on the United Nations Day, according to a ministry announcement.

“Today, on United Nations Day, 24 October, we are celebrating the most important International Organization, the guardian of international peace and security, responsible for managing the gravest global challenges and crises, including international conflicts and humanitarian crises, as well as climate change and the Ebola virus epidemic.

All of the humanitarian and development challenges that are a threat to international security fall within the competency of the UN.

It is our duty, today, to reflect on the fundamental chartered principles of the United Nations, the principles of respect for the sovereignty of member states, of abstention from hostile actions and from the threat of violence, of dedication to the peaceful resolution of differences, of respect for international law.

Unfortunately, these principles are often violated in practice. Always vivid before us is the example of the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the UN, the EU and the Eurozone that is recognized globally by all the members of the UN, with the exception of Turkey. In Cyprus, the flagrant violation of international law continues, 40 years after the invasion and ongoing Turkish occupation of the northern portion of the island. In recent days, we have unfortunately been monitoring the activity of the Turkish research vessel Barbaros, which – in violation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea – is within the region of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf to carry out illegal exploration in a area where the Republic of Cyprus holds the sovereign rights for exploration and exploitation.

Greece remains fully dedicated to the goals of the United Nations, as its foreign policy is a policy of principles founded on respect for international legality. Greece will continue to serve these goals and to support the good offices of the UN Secretary General regarding all pending international problems.

We wish the Secretary General and UN personnel around the world fortitude in the mission they have undertaken to maintain international peace and security. Finally, we express our congratulations to Angola, Malaysia, Venezuela, New Zealand and Spain: the five countries elected as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the years 2015 and 2016. We wish them every success, and we are certain that, in the execution of their duties, they will demonstrate their faith in and dedication to the fundamental principles of the United Nations.”