Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos has instructed Greece’s Ambassador to Belgrade, Konstantinos Ikonomidis, to officially notify the Serbian government of the intention of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union to convene an Intergovernmental Conference, on 21 January 2014, on the opening of Serbia’s accession negotiations with the European Union, as well as of Mr. Venizelos’ intention to visit Belgrade immediately afterwards, both as the President of the Council of the EU, as well as bilaterally.
Mr. Venizelos instructed that the warm congratulations of the Greek government and the Greek people be conveyed to the Serbian government on this new phase that Serbia is entering; a phase that will have a broad positive impact on the European perspective of the wider Western Balkan region. The development of the Belgrade-Pristina talks is an historic event.
Mr. Venizelos also instructed the Greek Ambassador to Tirana, Leonidas Rokanas, to notify the Albanian government of the stance Greece supported yesterday, at the EU General Affairs Council, in favor of the immediate granting of candidate-country status to Albania. Finally, in order to work towards consensus among the positions of the 28 member states of the EU, the General Affairs Council decided to discuss the taking of this decision in June 2014, before the end of the Hellenic Presidency. Greece is prepared to provide all possible assistance to Albania in the latter’s efforts to meet all the conditions that have been set by the EU.
December 18, 2013