8 January 2025
Thank you Mr. President,
I would also like to thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his very interesting briefing.
Mr. President,
The recent launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is indeed a particularly worrying development, adding to the escalating rhetoric asecurity tensions in the region.
Against this background, Greece expresses its full solidarity with the Republic of Korea and Japan and wishes to highlight the following three points:
Firstly, it is important to uphold the global non-proliferation and disarmament architecture, with the Non-Proliferation Treaty as its cornerstone. This architecture is severely undermined by DPRK’s recent launch, which added to a long list of IRBM, ICBM and other launches of military equipment. These launches are in flagrant violation of multiple Security Council resolutions and of international law. Therefore, it is the collective duty of the members of this Council to condemn those tests, including the last one of 6th of January.
Secondly, Greece urges those interested parties who have not met yet their obligations under the Council’s resolutions, namely resolution 1718 (2006) and subsequent resolutions, to expeditiously implement them and to work together for the achievement of our common goal for a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. To this end, we call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to de-escalate immediately and engage sincerely in dialogue with the Council and the United Nations system with a view to finding a diplomatic solution, as the only path to sustainable peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
Thirdly, we remain concerned by the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Various reports indicate that significant amounts are being spent for the improvement or deployment of sophisticated military equipment, instead of addressing basic needs of the people of the country. In this context, we invite the DPRK to ease any restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and to open its borders to international humanitarian personnel.
Mr. President,
Before concluding, allow me to reiterate the genuine commitment of Greece to the implementation of the Security Council sanctions regime and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006).
Unfortunately, the mandate of Panel of Experts of the Committee has not been renewed, the sanctions nevertheless remain in place and must continue to be fully implemented by all Member States.
Amidst a challenging geopolitical landscape in the area of Asia and Pacific, the unity of the Council on this matter is particularly crucial.
I thank you