Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed optimism about resolving maritime zones with Turkey but pessimism about the Cyprus division at the United Nations General Assembly. Mitsotakis believes there is a “window of opportunity” to delimit maritime zones with Turkey in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Greece and Turkey are exploring talks on demarcating their maritime zones.
Cyprus peace
However, Mitsotakis is less optimistic about reaching a settlement on Cyprus based on UN Security Council resolutions. Turkey’s recent stance favors establishing two states on the island, which Greece opposes. Mitsotakis reiterated support for resuming peace talks under the UN framework for a just solution.
Guiding principles
In his UN address, Mitsotakis outlined Greece’s guiding principles as a future non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025-26. He stressed dialogue, diplomacy, democracy, and highlighted core priorities like peaceful dispute resolution, climate security, and maritime security. Mitsotakis also addressed global instability, calling for UN Security Council reform and greater international cooperation on issues like Ukraine, Cyprus, and the climate crisis.