G. GERAPETRITIS: We are meeting today to discuss major issues concerning the European Union, our European family. In addition to EU enlargement, we will address three major crises afflicting our region and shaking the foundations of regional and international security: the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
Regarding the Middle East, in particular, I would like to emphasize how important it is for the European Union to maintain a unified stance. We must collectively condemn terrorism and the October 7th attack, which caused the current situation. Furthermore, the time has come to implement humanitarian values. It is crucial to establish a humanitarian pause that will allow for the creation of corridors to ensure full humanitarian aid. This pause will enable the prompt delivery of medical assistance to those in need and facilitate the restoration of damaged infrastructure. Human dignity and the loss of human lives are beyond color or nationality.
JOURNALIST: Minister, are there any updates regarding the evacuations of Greeks from the region?
G. GERAPETRITIS: From the very first moment, the Greek Foreign Ministry made a tremendous effort to ensure that those Greek citizens who wished to leave Israel, and specifically the war-torn Gaza Strip, were securely transferred. As a matter of fact, we completed the transfer operations yesterday. A family, the last seven people of Greek origin or nationality, arrived safely in Egypt, completing the evacuation for those wishing to leave.
I would like to warmly thank the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and especially our diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Cairo for their strenuous efforts. Let us hope that this crisis will end as soon as possible.
JOURNALIST: There has been talk of delivering humanitarian aid via ships. Cyprus has proposed this. I believe Greece has mentioned it as well.
G. GERAPETRITIS: It is very important that we all condemn the terrorist attacks on October 7th. It is important that the European Union maintains a uniform stance. On the other hand, I think it is about time that we consider the idea of humanitarian pauses in order to create sustainable humanitarian corridors and provide humanitarian aid to those in need. Human life and human dignity have no colour, have no nationality. So, it is time that we act properly.
November 13, 2023