At an Arria-Formula Meeting of the Security Council on ‘Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security’ organized by the Permanent Missions of Pakistan and China to the United Nations at UN Headquarters, Greece underlined the central importance of implementing Security Council resolutions and upholding international law.
Greek Deputy Permanent Representative Ioannis Stamatekos noted that ‘the Cyprus issue is a good example,’ stressing that ‘respect for and adherence to Security Council Resolutions 541 and 550 must serve as the guiding compass for member-states in addressing this issue.’
Referring to the Security Council’s relevant decisions, Greece recalled that, through Resolutions 541 and 550, the Council ‘called upon all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and not to recognize the secessionist, illegal entity or assist it in any way.’
Stamatekos also emphasized the broader position on the maintenance of international peace and security, stating that Greece ‘firmly believes that the maintenance of international peace and security can be achieved only through the establishment and consolidation of the rule of law.’
In this context, he reaffirmed that Greece attaches ‘great importance to the primacy of and respect for the UN Charter and international law.’
An illegal breakaway entity declared independence unilaterally, on November 15, 1983, in the areas under Turkish occupation, an action condemned by the UN Security Council and the international community as legally null and void. The illegal declaration followed the partition of the island after the Turkish military invaded Cyprus in 1974, occupying one third of its territory ever since.