Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos is participating in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting taking place today, Monday, 20 January 2014, in Brussels.
The morning session focused on the Union’s stance on the Syria issue and, in particular, on the talks at the upcoming Geneva II Conference on Syria, following the invitation for Iran to participate.
In his intervention, Mr. Venizelos stressed that, two days before the opening of the Geneva II conference, what is most important is to ensure the credibility and legitimacy of the process. From this standpoint, it is vital, first, to avoid any impression of disagreement between the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the UN Secretary General, who is hosting the conference and is the institutional guarantor of the process, and, second, to maintain – to the very last – the pressure on the moderate Syrian opposition to participate substantially in the Conference, even following the invitation extended to Iran.
Referring to developments in Egypt, Mr. Venizelos noted that the situation remains urgent and that there is a need to implement the roadmap announced by the government for a return to normalcy. He underscored the need for a truly inclusive framework. Obviously, the approval of the new Constitution in the recent referendum is an important step, but it will not suffice. Finally, Mr. Venizelos stated that the European Union should send a message to the Egyptian people and government, encouraging the country’s course towards institutional normalcy.
January 20, 2014