2004 - News

 Read Press Releases of the MFA Information Department and the Greek Mission to the UN.

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Greek Statements during the General Debate of the General Assembly
Friday, May 25, 2007

Afghanistan
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 The fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, was followed by the Bonn Conference “on the future of Afghanistan”, which resulted in the Bonn Agreement signed by major Afghan opposition groups on 5.12.2001 and was backed by SC Resolution 1383. The Bonn Agreement established the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA), with Hamid Karzai as its Chairman for an initial 6 month period.

Cote d' Ivoire
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 After more than two decades of prosperity, in the early nineties Cote d’ Ivoire experienced economic, political and military problems that continued to escalate progressively and ended up by dividing the country in two parts: the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south.  In January 2003, all political parties signed the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement, ensuring a ceasefire, a government of national unity and an action plan for tackling, with UN help, the problems which led to the civil war.

Liberia
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Liberia is affected by the internal conflict that erupted in the late eighties. Following the rebels’ advance in 2003 and under pressure from the international community the Government of Liberia agreed to peace talks, held under the auspices of ECOWAS and financed by the European Union (4.6.2003).

Haiti
Friday, May 25, 2007 The United Nations’ involvement in Haiti dates back to 1990 when ONUVEH was created to overlook the Presidential elections. The Secretary-General appointed a special envoy for Haiti and, soon after, the International Civilian Mission in Haiti was deployed in 1993 to monitor the human rights situation. To encourage democratic governance, the Security Council imposed oil and arms embargo in 1993, and a trade embargo in 1994.

Kosovo
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Following the military operations of NATO and on the basis of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), the UN undertook the role of the political, social, economic and institutional reconstruction of Kosovo.

Sudan
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Since its independence, with the exception of a 10 year period (1972-1982), Sudan has been engulfed in civil war. The current North - South peace process, that is between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement/ Army (SPLM/A), began in Machakos, Kenya in July 2002 when the first out of a series of six protocols was signed.

Ethiopia - Eritrea
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 In June 2000, after two years of fighting, Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Algiers, an agreement which was guaranteed by the AU, the EU, the UN and the US. With this agreement the two sides accepted the creation of an independent Boundary Commission, which was thereafter to be responsible for the demarcation of the boundary between the two countries.

Burundi
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Since its independence in 1961, Burundi’s history has been marked by cyclic and intense ethnic conflicts (1965, 1972, 1988, 1991 and 1993) between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Thousands have been killed, displaced or escaped the country.  The current crisis started in October 1993 with the assassination of the first elected president of the country, Melchior Ndadaye, during an attempted coup.

Central African Republic
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Since independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic has experienced long periods of political instability and struggle, including several coups. In 1997, France withdrew its forces and, in 1998, the SC established MINURCA (United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic), which was replaced by BONUCA (UN Peace Building Support Office in the Central African Republic) in 2000, following elections that were held in 1999.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Following the ousting of President Mobutu in May 1997 by a rebellion under the leadership of Laurent Kabila, war broke out again in August 1998. Rwandan troops backing Congolese Tutsi rebels invaded Congo. An estimated 3 million people died in the conflict, mostly from war-related disease and starvation. State parties, later joined by non-state actors, signed a ceasefire in Lusaka (July 1999) and the UN Security Council sent a peacekeeping mission (MONUC) in 2000.

Sierra Leone
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Since the civil war was declared over in January 2002 the country is still facing a complex post-conflict situation, marked by depleted infrastructure, a depressed economy and weak institutions. Democratic elections were held in May 2002, resulting in the re-election of President Kabbah for a 5-year period.

Guinea Bissau
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 The country experienced a bitter civil war in the late 1990s in which thousands were killed, wounded and displaced. This eventually ended after foreign mediation led to a truce (agreement of Abuja) in 1999, policed by West African peacekeepers, and Presidential elections in January 2000.

Middle East and the Palestinian Question
Friday, May 25, 2007 The Question of Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East constitute a regular item on the agenda of the Security Council. Key to the deliberations of the Council on this issue are Security Council Resolutions 233 and 237 (1967), 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1515 (2003).

Somalia
Friday, May 25, 2007 Since the fall of Siad Barre's regime in 1991, Somalia has gradually disintegrated into clan centered fiefs, characterized by regular armed clashes and the lack of effective central government. UN forces were sent twice by the SC and finally withdrew from Somalia in 1995. The UN has also implemented a general and complete arms embargo since 1992 (SC Resolution 733).

Iraq / Kuwait
Friday, May 25, 2007 Following “Operation Iraqi Freedom” in March 2003 and the subsequent downfall of the Saddam Hussein Regime, the Security Council reexamined the situation in Iraq and in May 2003 adopted Resolution 1483 whereby the Council outlined the general framework for the reconstruction and stabilization of the worn torn country by, inter alia, setting out the responsibilities of the Coalition Provisional Authority and by appointing a UN Special Representative for Iraq, whose main responsibilities include coordinating the activities of the United Nations in the post-conflict process in Iraq.

Lebanon
Friday, May 25, 2007 UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) was created in 1978 after Israeli military operations in Lebanese territory. With Resolutions 425 and 426 (1978), the SC a) called upon Israel to cease its military action against Lebanon and withdraw its forces from all Lebanese territory and b) established UNIFIL for the purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restoring international peace and security and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.

Bougainville
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 The 2001 Peace Agreement between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Bougainville pro-independence combatants paved the way towards the establishment of an autonomous government on the island.

Syria
Friday, May 25, 2007 UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) was established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 350 (1974) in order to monitor the ceasefire between the Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights, following the relevant agreement signed between Syria and Israel in May 1974.

Timor-Leste
Friday, May 25, 2007 On 20 May 2002 East Timor became an independent state under the official name “Timor Leste”. East Timorese independence was the result of a referendum, held in August 1999, and a three year process supervised by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). 

Georgia
Friday, May 25, 2007 The conflict in Abkhazia between the central authorities and local separatist forces broke out in the summer of 1992 and led to the withdrawal of the Georgian army from the province. The UN opened its first office in Tbilisi in November 1992. The main goal was to assist in the Secretary-General's peace efforts.

Western Sahara
Friday, May 25, 2007 Western Sahara, a Territory on the north-west coast of Africa bordered by Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria, was administered by Spain until 1976. Both Morocco and Mauritania affirmed their claim to the territory, a claim opposed by the Polisario Front (Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro). In 1979 Mauritania surrendered all claims over the region.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Friday, May 25, 2007 The Security Council has been seized of the situation in the country from the beginning of the civil war in 1991, through successive SC Resolutions. Resolution 743(1992) established UNPROFOR (United Nations Protection Force) with a mandate to protect, initially, parts of Croatia and, following the widening of the conflict, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Dayton General Framework Agreement for Peace provided for the replacement of UNPROFOR with a multinational force led by NATO (IFOR for one year and since 1996 Multinational Stabilization Force, SFOR).

Earthquake in Southeast Asia - Announcement regarding missing persons
Friday, July 08, 2005 .

Developments in Southeast Asia
Friday, July 08, 2005

Developments in Southeast Asia
Friday, July 08, 2005

Humanitarian aid from Greece to the disaster areas in Southeast Asia
Friday, July 08, 2005

Under the direction of Foreign Minister Mr. Petros Molyviatis, and with the coordination of the competent Deputy Foreign Minister for International Development Cooperation, Mr. Evripidis Stylianidis, Greece's humanitarian aid initiatives for the countries and populations hit by the recent catastrophe are being developed.

Greek citizens in areas in southeast Asia affected by the disaster
Friday, July 08, 2005

Greek citizens with minor injuries
Friday, July 08, 2005

Humanitarian aid mission to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, and the Maldives
Friday, July 08, 2005

Actions taken by the Foreign Ministry following the earthquake and tidal wave in southeast Asia
Friday, July 08, 2005 In the wake of the news regarding the great earthquake and the resulting tidal waves it caused that struck several regions in South East Asia and the east coast of India, the foreign ministry has issued relevant directions to our diplomatic missions there. Our diplomatic missions are in constant communication with the local authorities and services as well as in cooperation and coordination with other diplomatic authorities of the EU member states, there.

Announcement regarding the earthquake and the tidal waves that struck the region of South East Asia, Sri Lanka and the east coast of India
Friday, July 08, 2005

Special Olympic Airlines flight to Phuket, Thailand
Friday, July 08, 2005

Press Conference of Foreign Minister Mr. Petros Molyviatis
Friday, July 08, 2005 Thank you all for coming here on a Saturday. I would like to make a few introductory observations, and then I will be available to answer any questions you have.

I would like to start by saying that I believe that what happened yesterday was a particularly significant success for our country. And I will try to explain why I say this.

Financial aid to the victims stricken by typhoons in the Philippines
Friday, July 08, 2005

Hellenic Chairmanship of BSEC
Friday, February 04, 2005 Greece assumed the Chairmanship of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization from November 2004 to April 2005. Over the past twelve years BSEC has come to age as a regional international organization, assuming new responsibilities, streamlining its institutional structures and refining its operational performance. At the BSEC Decennial Summit ...

Statement of Foreign Minister Mr. Petros Molyviatis following Greece's election as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (Athens, 15.10. 2004)
Friday, July 08, 2005 Today, the United Nations General Assembly elected - almost unanimously - Greece as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2005-2006.

This is the first time this has happened in ...