Μake us preferred on Google Greece has stepped up its diplomatic engagement with candidates hoping to succeed Antonio Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General, as the informal straw polling process at the UN Security Council moves forward and Athens prepares to take over the council’s rotating presidency in October.
Guterres’s term expires at the end of this year, and the Security Council is currently conducting a series of secret, informal ballots among its members to gauge support for the seven declared candidates before a final decision is reached.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke by phone Tuesday with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, discussing Greece’s role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, a seat Athens holds for the 2025-2026 term. The two leaders touched on the future direction of the United Nations and the candidacies for its top post.
Foreign Ministry meetings
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis hosted a separate meeting in Athens with Olara Otunnu of Uganda, one of the candidates vying to lead the world body. The talks centered on UN reform efforts, a priority Greece has tied to its current Security Council term.
Gerapetritis used the meeting to restate Greece’s commitment to international law, including the principles of the UN Charter, and to multilateral cooperation, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The Ugandan candidate’s visit follows a string of similar meetings. Gerapetritis previously met at the prime minister’s office, with Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, who briefed Mitsotakis on her priorities for the organization, as well as with María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador. In early July, Mitsotakis also met with former Senegalese President Macky Sall, another contender for the post.
Further meetings between Greek officials and the remaining candidates could take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week in New York later this month.
Athens keeps its cards close
With the Security Council’s informal balloting still underway, both Greece and Cyprus are expected to withhold public support for any single candidate. Traditionally, the two countries’ preferences are shaped by a candidate’s positions on the Cyprus issue, as well as their stance on international law.
Some diplomatic sources suggest diplomat and former Vice President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan, ranks high among Greece’s informal preferences, though Athens has not confirmed this publicly.
The final stretch of the selection process is expected to run alongside Greece’s Security Council presidency in October, which will focus on maritime security, protection of children in conflict zones, and the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda, aimed at strengthening women’s roles in conflict prevention and resolution. The final decision on the next Secretary-General is expected within November. Greece’s month at the helm of the council will include remarks from Gerapetritis, with a possible address by Mitsotakis as well.
From San Francisco to New York
Ahead of the council presidency, Athens has largely finalized its preparations for the UN General Assembly’s high level week, running Sept. 18 to 28, though several bilateral and trilateral meetings remain to be confirmed.
Among the events already scheduled are a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, and a speech by Mitsotakis on Sept. 24. An informal meeting of EU foreign ministers is also expected to take place on the sidelines, set against the backdrop of the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as what Athens views as escalating Turkish provocations in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.
Before arriving in New York, Mitsotakis will travel to California, where he is set to meet with executives from leading technology companies in San Francisco.
Source: TA NEA print edition
