Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias participated in the UN Conference on Disarmament 2021 via a videotaped intervention, due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister reiterated the conviction that arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation remain key components of the stability of the international system, noting that Greece remains committed to a legally binding, treaty-based, viable and functional arms control system.
In this context, Greece welcomes the extension of the new START Treaty. Greece firmly supports the preservation and universalization of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and its three pillars (non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, nuclear disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy).
Finally, among other things, the Minister highlighted the need to enlarge the membership of the Conference on disarmament and reiterated our country’s desire to become a full member, recalling that Greece is the longest-standing observer and underscoring how outdated it is for Greece to be held hostage to the unacceptable objections from another state due to bilateral issues of no relevance to the Conference on Disarmament.
The complete transcript of the Foreign Minister’s intervention is available here.
February 23, 2021