The need for International Law and the Law of the Sea to be the only way to resolve disputes between states and not the show of force was underlined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias in joint statements after his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gabon Michael Moussa Adamo , who is making an official visit to Athens, the first of his country’s foreign minister.
As Mr. Dendias mentioned, the two countries may be separated by geographical distance, but “they are very closely linked by common values: adherence to International Law and the International Law of the Sea”, while he recalled that both have ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS.
“Gabon is an example because it has agreed with Equatorial Guinea to refer the question of the delimitation of maritime zones to the International Court of Justice in The Hague,” the foreign minister underlined.
“We would like to express the wish that all countries will follow your example, embrace these fundamental values ​​and not seek to impose their will on other countries with the sole aim of showing force. Many times this show of force is not it is also a real strength”, emphasized Mr. Dendias.
As the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted, the visit of his counterpart comes a few months after his visit to Libreville, where he was received by the President of the Republic Ali Bongo and the third between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries in less than a year.
He also underlined that today an important step was taken in the deepening of bilateral relations between the two countries with the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of the environment and tourism in implementation of the memorandum of political consultations signed last November.
He pointed out that the prospects for the development of Greece-Gabon cooperation are important, firstly in the shipping sector.
The Greek-owned fleet is the largest fleet on the planet and Greece is very interested in maritime security, the fight against piracy, noted Mr. Dendias.
He referred to the training at the Naval Defense Training Center (KENAP) in Crete that he attended a few days ago and emphasized that Greece could host officers from Gabon at the training center and in general there should be cooperation in economic matters related to shipping.
“Your interest in setting up an office in Piraeus is something that shows how you perceive this cooperation,” he said addressing his Gabon counterpart.
Even the two countries could cooperate closely in environmental protection.
“Gabon is a leader in the conservation and protection of tropical forests and biodiversity and attaches primary importance to the protection of the marine environment, so the possibility of cooperation with Greece arises effortlessly,” said Mr. Dendias.
He expressed his pleasure to participate in today’s event organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in view of the International Conference on Oceans (“Our Ocean”).
During the meeting, the two ministers discussed international developments, as well as the cooperation of the two countries in International Organizations.
Gabon is a member of the United Nations Security Council and has the potential to play an important role in the context of participation in the UN Security Council, Mr. Dendias said and thanked his counterpart for supporting Greece’s candidacy for the Security Council. in the period 2025-26.
Also, the two countries cooperate in the framework of Francophonie, while Greece looks forward to Gabon’s constructive and moderate role in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Finally, the broader developments in Africa, the economic prospects of various African countries and the possibilities that are opening up and can be jointly exploited were discussed. Mr. Dendias pointed out that together with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Costas Fragogiannis, he will try to individualize specific areas where this cooperation could be developed.
Gabon’s Foreign Ministry: We are in favor of the peaceful resolution of disputes between states, in favor of the full observance of borders
“Our country believes in the peaceful resolution of conflicts,” Gabon’s Foreign Minister Michael Moussa Adamo pointed out.
“We are in favor of respecting legal borders, in favor of the peaceful resolution of all kinds of disputes between states, in favor of the full observance of borders,” he emphasized and added:
“We want to build the relationship with Greece for the benefit of both countries. We will stand by you at the United Nations and the UN Security Council.”
The African country’s foreign minister expressed the hope that the two memoranda would be the first and invited the Greek minister to visit the country again. He proposed that the two countries sign a general cooperation agreement and another one to avoid visas both for diplomats and for the 90-day stay of Greek businessmen, so that Greek businessmen can visit the country for cooperation.
He pointed out that the President of Gabon has the ambition for the country to become a real node, a hub and has a lot to learn from Greece.
“We aim to transform our economy. We really want to get away from our dependence on oil and now move towards services. So I think we have a lot to learn from you.”
“We are starting to see the post-oil period and we want to transform our economy with an emphasis now on tourism, services and ecotourism. We want to exchange views with you and help us achieve this,” he concluded.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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