The Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis stood for a “just and sustainable peace” in Ukraine during the international Summit on Peace in Ukraine which took place in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on the weekend June 15-16.
This cannot practically mean the capitulation of Ukraine under any circumstances, the Greek Premier pointed out.
“That is why Greece, like all other European countries, continues to support Ukraine, so that it can at some point come to the negotiating table from a position of self-confidence and not from a position of weakness,” Mitsotakis told Greek public broadcaster ERT after the Summit.
101 participating countries and international organisations reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the need for any differences to be resolved through International Law, supporting the inalienable right that every country has to its territorial sovereignty and condemning any change of borders by force.
However, not all countries signed the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework for Ukraine, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security, and the exchange of prisoners, and none came forward to host a sequel for the talks.
War in Ukraine a global issue
The Greek PM focused on the war in Ukraine as an international issue and the significance of a rules-based international order.
“Countries, not only from the European Union, but from all over the world, were here in Switzerland, reaffirming that the war in Ukraine is not only an issue of our continent, but of the entire planet,” he told ERT, describing how this war has caused major disruptions in the supply chain and in the prices of basic food.
“What is being done in Ukraine is very important for Africa, for countries which are also tested by the effects of the climate crisis”, Mitsotakis commented.
He also stressed the importance of compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights, which is a top priority not only in Ukraine but also in Gaza and Sudan.
According to the Greek Premier, the protection of the civilian population should be prioritized, ensuring the safe return of children removed from their country illegally or forcibly transferred, as well as the release of illegally detained citizens and the further exchange of prisoners of war.
The role of Greece in safeguarding global food security
Greek PM Mitsotakis also participated in a thematic working group of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on the subject of food security, highlighting the major impact of the war on this matter and the need for uninterrupted provision of basic food supplies.
Sea transport routes, both in the Black Sea and the Red Sea, must remain open for the global food supply, he said, adding that Greece, with its merchant fleet, has a particularly important role on this front.
Greece supports both the creation of additional routes to facilitate the transport of Ukrainian agricultural products, and projects to strengthen the capacity of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Corridors and their direct access to the Aegean Sea.
“Greece will continue to do everything possible to strengthen food security by providing sea transport or storage and distribution centres,” the Greek Premier affirmed.
Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework for Ukraine
More than 80 countries signed the Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework in conclusion of the Summit.
However, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates – all of whom have important trading relationships with Russia as members of the BRICS economic group, as the CNN observes – were among the countries that refused to sign it, while Brazil only attended as an observer.
The declaration outlines that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties. The United Nations Charter, including the principles of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, can and will serve as a basis in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, it states.
Concrete steps will be taken in three areas, with further engagement of the representatives of all parties.
First, any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine is inadmissible.
Secondly, food security must not be weaponized in any way, and Ukrainian agricultural products should be securely and freely provided to interested third countries.
Thirdly, all prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine.
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