Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias participated today, 19 March 2021, in the Ministerial Meeting of the International Coalition for the Sahel (“Coalition pour le Sahel”), which took place via videoconference.
In his intervention, the Minister noted that the situation in the Sahel region continues to require the attention of the international community from both a humanitarian and security perspective. The cooperation of international partners with the G5 group of Sahel countries contributes to the response to the complex challenges the region is facing due to the fragile security environment. The interconnected problems include growing poverty, the activities of criminal and terrorist organizations, and increasing illegal migration flows.
The Minister highlighted that, in this context, Greece is strengthening its presence in the region through the recent opening of a new embassy in Senegal and the appointment of the Greek Ambassador to Dakar as the Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for the Sahel. Mr. Dendias stressed that this is a practical manifestation of Greece’s interest in Western Africa and the countries of the Sahel, with the aim of actively supporting the efforts to enhance the region’s security and stability, in collaboration with the countries of the region, the European Union and other international partners.
