Greece Points To Basic Principles Of International Relations Being Called Into Question

ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2019) Fundamental principles of international law are being questioned today which brings diplomacy at the forefront of international relations, high-ranked Greek officials have said.

On Wednesday, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Foreign Minister George Katrougalos gave speeches at a ceremony in the Foreign Ministry, where young diplomats took the oath of office.

"Fundamental principles of international relations, such as multilateralism and observation of agreements, are being questioned. From the security of the bipolar or unipolar world we have come to changing international affairs where our country, as a member of united Europe, wants to be a protagonist and to have a positive and creative role," Katrougalos said.

According to Katrougalos, this role implies not only building a stable democracy but also sharing its values with other countries.

"For a small country like Greece, whose size is disproportionate to its role in international relations, the role of diplomacy moves at the forefront," Pavlopoulos said, referring to Greece's membership of the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Pavlopoulos emphasized the importance of international legal mechanisms and respect for human rights, which, he believes, are a remedy against international isolation. Greece seeks friendly relations with all nations, especially with Turkey, the president concluded.

Greece has recently experienced turbulence which particularly affected Athens' relations with Ankara over their disagreements on Turkey's role in what Greece calls the genocide of more than 350,000 Pontic Greeks who lived in Anatolia during World War II and its aftermath. Turkey has been criticizing Greece for such statements, saying it distorts historical truth.