Athens, 28 September 2023

I. Plakiotakis at Council of Europe Conference of Presidents of Parliament: We will continue to stand unwaveringly with the brave Ukrainian people - Response to President of Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on Cyprus issue

 The Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament Ioannis Plakiotakis participated for the first time in the Council of Europe’s European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, which took place in Dublin. The main theme of the Conference were the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the role of national parliaments in Ukraine’s reconstruction. 

The Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament responded to the President of Türkiye’s Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmus, who made a provocative reference to Cyprus, namely: “The invader in Cyprus is not Turkey, it is the Greek side which abolished the legitimate Cypriot Republic which was founded in 1960”. 

“The foundation of peace”, answered Mr Plakiotakis, “is the respect for International Law, the respect for international conventions, the respect for UN resolutions, the respect for the national sovereignty of states, the respect for their territorial integrity. References and, what is more, behaviours that go against the above add fuel to revisionism, torpedo security and peace. We are witnessing it in Ukraine, we are witnessing it in Cyprus”, and added:  

“We were unpleasantly surprised by what the Turkish colleague just said on the Cyprus issue. It has always been the position of our country and the international community to resolve the Cyprus issue through dialogue, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Any other approach is and cannot be accepted”. 

Mr Plakiotakis initially referred to the conclusions of the Summit of Heads of State and Government last May in Reykjavik, Iceland, saying that “the declaration which was adopted with the title “United around our values” confirms the common vision of the Council of Europe as a pillar of democratic security in Europe, as a guarantor of human rights and the rule of law". He reminded the conference participants that Greece actively participated in the negotiations “supporting the Statements that promote the work and the role of the Council of Europe in the European arena”, while he made special mention of the war in Ukraine and the decision to establish an Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, calling it “a resounding commitment to justice” and adding that “Greece has from the start been steadfast in its support for this initiative in the context of the implementation of International Law and the respect for the UN Charter”. 

The Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament pointed out that “Greece has welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. Having already experienced a massive migration wave in the past, we understand the need for constant support and the fair sharing of responsibility between all CoE member states.”  He assured that “we have have stood and will continue to stand unwaveringly with the brave Ukrainian people and we commend their struggle to defend their independence and sovereignty against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression.”

Expressing Greece’s overall position on the issue, Mr Plakiotakis stressed that “Greece supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, has condemned the holding of illegal 'referenda' and does not recognise the results thereof in areas within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine. It does not recognise the illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the Crimean Peninsula and the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. It took a clear stance against the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022, as a dangerous act of revisionism and a flagrant violation of international law.”

He added that “Greece is committed, along with its allies and partners, to the multifaceted support to Ukraine, at the political / diplomatic, economic, military and humanitarian level, for as long as necessary. Greece joined on 9 August 2023 the G7 Leaders’ Joint Statement in Support of Ukraine committing to provide security to Ukraine”.

Summing up, Mr Plakiotakis referred to the recent visit of the President of Ukraine to Greece for the Athens Conference, with the leaders of the Balkans, Moldova, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, noting that “The Prime Minister of Greece and the Ukrainian President co-signed a Joint Statement on the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, where, inter alia, is expressed Greece’s commitment to participate along with the other partners and Organisations in the restoration and reconstruction of the country after the war”.

“The Greek Parliament has supported and will continue to support the necessary legislative initiatives. It will actively promote the implementation of the Reykjavik Declaration”, he added.

 

 

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