Minister of Foreign Affairs N.Dendias’ address at the Parliamentary Standing Committee on National Defence & Foreign Affairs’ event: “Greece as a factor of power & stability in the SE Mediterranean. Thessaloniki in the spotlight” (Thessaloniki,15.02.2023)

It is, therefore, a key priority of the Mitsotakis government not to call into question this national understanding of our foreign policy’s fundamental pillars in the run-up to the elections. Because I believe we all agree that unanimity is not a luxury, but rather a prerequisite for our national survival.Two years before the election is held, we have already secured 112 pledges for support in writing in favor of our candidacy to the United Nations Security Council. We are currently running three campaigns. One for the Security Council, one for the presidency of the General Assembly, and one for the UN Human Rights Council. Greece has never been elected to two of these three positions and we have only been elected to the third position once in our entire history.
Yet again, for Greece, there are fundamental guiding values, namely territorial integrity, International Law, International Law of the Sea, and dialogue. Dialogue enables the settlement of disputes, but even if they are not addressed definitively, convergences and understanding are created. Revisionist narratives are addressed. We have always and will continue to extend an olive branch.  Of course, as a country, we also retain the right to bear a sword.  Mr. President, you just talked about the sword in great detail.
Fifth, we are moving beyond our known horizon, whether in sub-Saharan Africa or in West Africa, or in emerging powers such as India, Japan, Indonesia, or Latin American countries that I visited just last week, Greece has an open horizon policy. But please note the following: We are working and concluding agreements with powerful countries that share the same position as us on International Law and International Law of the Sea. Countries that perceive international affairs as does the Hellenic Republic and stand with the Hellenic Republic in international organizations against revisionism from wherever it comes from.
Let us now briefly talk about our neighboring country. We are absolutely certain, ladies and gentlemen, that the Turkish people want peace, and stability; they want cooperation. And I’d like to tell you that the warmth of the welcome extended not only by the Turkish officials, the ministers, my long-time friend, and acquaintance, my counterpart but particularly by the recently stricken and bereaved people in Turkey, has convinced me deeply of the two societies’ and the two peoples’ ability to coexist in a peaceful, stable, and secure future.
Aside from that, of course, the Agreements with Italy and Egypt on the delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones stand out. These Agreements demonstrate that our positions on the International Law of the Sea are shared by other countries, by the vast majority of countries in our region, and that the International Law of the Sea is the sole legal vehicle for consolidating peace.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Over these years, ladies and gentlemen, we have been able to formulate a coherent strategy that has not only allowed our country to react but has also created the conditions for diplomatic, military, and economic strengthening, as the President described at length earlier. It has created conditions that have turned Greece into a modern, hospitable, open-to-innovation, new-ideas-friendly, extroverted, contemporary country. A country that can change and grow geopolitically stronger through its changes. We are all aware that the Russian invasion of Ukraine marked the upheaval of the international order as we knew it at the time. Just as the new revisionism in our region marked a shift of balance here in the Eastern Mediterranean. In short, the world has changed; our region has changed.
Besides, allow me to give you a small example. Next Tuesday, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is coming to Athens for the Strategic Dialogue. One cannot recall a time in Greek history when the United States had a structured Strategic Dialogue with Greece on an annual basis, with the Secretary of State visiting Greece every year or the Greek Minister visiting Washington in order to maintain a structured, stabilized relationship. Our country has advanced to a new level.

Source