Greece's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, during the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria, stressed the importance of a smooth, fully inclusive political transition. Sekeris also referred to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, which Greece welcomes and recognizes as a defining moment for Syria and the entire region.

The full statement by the Permanent Representative of Greece, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris is as follows:

Thank you Mr. President,
I would also like to thank the Special Envoy for Syria Mr. Pedersen and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr. Fletcher Dear Colleagues, Greece welcomes the fall of Assad’s authoritarian regime in Syria in what constitutes a watershed moment for the country and the region. However, the situation on the ground is fluid, and it comes both with opportunities and risks. Hopefully in the wake of this momentous development, Syrians deserve peace. A peace that must and only can be assured through an orderly and fully inclusive political transition, towards a legitimate, representative and non-sectarian government, based on democratic legitimacy, in the spirit of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Mr. President,
In line with its principles, Greece supports the unity, independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria. No effort should be spared for the protection of all affected civilians -including Christians and all religious minorities and ethnic groups- as well as to safeguard Syria’s rich cultural heritage and religious monuments. Greece also attaches great importance to guaranteeing the security and the prosperity of the historical Greek Orthodox community in Syria, which also includes Greek citizens.

Syria must demonstrate significant and tangible evidence of their willingness to work towards a smooth transition of power, to build state institutions in line with the principle of inclusiveness and to respect international humanitarian law. Any positive declarations and messages by the new authorities have to be matched with concrete actions on the respect of minorities and human rights. We fully support the UN Special Envoy's engagement and echo the messages he has conveyed to Syria in this regard. Greece stresses the importance of a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned fully inclusive political process, free of foreign interference, the only viable pathway towards the permanent cessation of hostilities in the wartorn country.

In this vein, we strongly encourage Syria to work with the UN Special Envoy with the goal of producing a clear roadmap and a timeline for a political transition process and constitutional reform in the spirit of UNSC Resolution 2254. Greece remains ever vigilant regarding the increasing risks of ISIL’s and other terrorist groups’ resurgence in the country, including the risk of foreign terrorist fighters in Syria and the wider region. Syria must also abide by all relevant Resolutions of the Council regarding non-conventional weapons and cooperate with the international community, particularly on chemical weapons stockpiles. A key priority should be facilitating the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their homes, which they have craved for far too long and which is a recognized priority of the international community. We fully support the efforts of UNHCR, OCHA and all related agencies of the UN system in this regard.

Mr. President,
Let me also underline our deep concern for the potential regional ramifications of the recent upheaval in Syria, calling for all parties to practice self-restraint, respect international law and Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We appeal to all actors in the region to contribute in a responsible and sincere manner to the stabilization and reconciliation efforts of the international community. It is also crucial that all regional stakeholders refrain from acts that could jeopardize the political transition in the country for the sake of their own foreign or domestic political goals. Since the October 7 terrorist attacks, instability has swept the Middle East with devastating global ramifications. As demonstrated by the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Beirut on 16 December, we are ready to support our regional partners in this volatile environment and we will continue to monitor closely regional developments and their potential impact on neighboring countries, particularly Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

Mr. President,
As a final note, Greece expresses its full support to UNDOF and the implementation of its mandate and calls on all parties, to respect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and fully abide by its terms. Let me conclude by reiterating our steadfast commitment to the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Syria, to the realization of which we shall continue to contribute, through our strong and long-standing ties with the Arab world and our regional partners.

I thank you