FM Dendias: Greek diplomacy successfully passed the test

"Greek diplomacy has successfully passed the test. Greece is acquiring a new momentum, leaving the crisis behind it and moving ahead on the basis of an extrovert, meaningful and multidimensional foreign policy," stated Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in a statement to the newspaper "Proto Thema" on Tuesday, regarding the High Level Week at the 74th United Nations General Assembly held in New York.

Dendias noted that it was "an extremely rich week in meetings and contacts, which highlighted the presence of the Greek delegation in the UN Assembly under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis."

The minister said that "the presence and meetings of the Greek delegation confirmed that all sides view our country not just as an anchor of stability in the wider region but also as a reliable partner that constructively contributes to the major issues of our times, such as climate change and migration."

The aim was, said Dendias, for Greece to change its image on the international scene, to be seen as a new country that has turned a page and is once more finding its pace and regaining its self-confidence in international affairs.

Referring to the effort for a new start in Greek foreign policy, he said that "Greek diplomacy is cultivating a series of 'concentric circles' of cooperation and dialogue. It remains steadily focused on international legality as the necessary framework for promoting international relations and settling differences.

"Greece is redefining its relations with its traditional partners and allies in Europe, expanding its cooperation with the United States and with the other big 'actors' on the international scene, such as China, boosting international trade and economic ties," Dendias said. The central axis of this effort was the creation of a positive agenda for cooperation with Greece's neighbours in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, the minister said, as indicated by the prime minister's meeting with Turkey's president.