Greece » International Relations

Greece was elected by the United Nations General Assembly to the United Nations Security Council, on 15 October 2004, as a non-permanent member for 2005 and 2006. Prominent issues in Greek foreign policy include the enduring Cyprus problem, Greek-Turkish differences over the Aegean, a dispute over the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and relations with the USA. Greece and Turkey carried out a population exchange in the 1920s in an attempt to reduce tensions between the two countries. On May 6, 2004, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the first Turkish premier to visit Greece in sixteen years.

Greek refusal to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) under its chosen name of "Republic of Macedonia" has been an important issue in Greek politics since 1992. Greece was adamantly opposed to the use of the name "Macedonia" by the government in Skopje, claiming that the name is intrinsically Greek and should not be used by a foreign country.

Greece's stance on the naming issue has come under increasing pressure in recent years. At least 20 countries have recognised the Republic of Macedonia, rather than FYROM. These include the United States (in November 2004), the Philippines, Iran, Estonia, Malaysia, Russia, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, Bulgaria, Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and others. The European Union, however, has publicly stated that it has no plans to recognise the FYROM as the Republic of Macedonia. The United States and Greece have long-standing historical, political, and cultural ties based on a common heritage, shared democratic values.

Trade and Investment with UK

British exports to Greece grew by over 10% in 2004 to £1.38 billion, whilst Greek imports to the UK stood at £650 million. Greece is the UK’s 29th largest export market. The top three exports to Greece in 2004 were Road Vehicles, Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Products and Beverages. The top three exports to the UK in 2004 were Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Products, Vegetables & Fruit and Clothing and Clothing Accessories. Three million British tourists visit Greece each year, while there are approximately 30,000 Greek students currently in higher education in the UK.