Below is the text of Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas’ statements to journalists following today’s emergency meeting on Greek exports to Russia, which was held on the instructions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos:
D. KOURKOULAS: Within the framework of the coordinated government policy for confronting the crisis that arose from the measures banning imports of agricultural products into Russia, we had the opportunity today, with the other co-competent Ministries – the Rural Development Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Development Ministry – and in coordination with the Permanent Greek Representation, to reassess the situation.
First, to assess the damage that has been done or that will result in the immediate future. This is very important, because on Thursday, the day after tomorrow, there will be a first meeting, in Brussels, of experts from the Rural Development Ministries of the 28 EU member states with the European Commission. The European Commission, through the competent Commissioner, announced a short while ago that a taskforce has been created in Brussels on this issue. It is very important that we have a complete picture – and we do have a complete picture – of where things stand, both on the level of loss of exports and on the level of lorries that have departed or are returning.
JOURNALIST: Is there a specific assessment as to the level of losses?
D. KOURKOULAS: I wouldn’t like to refer to numbers at this time, because it depends on how one is counting. It is one thing to refer to the number of exports that have already been contracted, and another to refer to the number of exports last year and try to draw conclusions based on that. There is the issue of the loss of the markets that may come. We are carrying out an initial assessment of losses, together with the Rural Development Ministry, which has the first say.
Secondly, we are mobilizing on the level of the European Commission, and already, as you saw, there is a positive announcement from the competent Commissioner, paving the way, for the first time, to possible community compensation, which is our goal. We will await the meeting on Thursday, at which there will be a comprehensive picture for all the member states. We are in contact with other members states that are facing similar problems, and, together with the Rural Development Ministry and the other co-competent Ministries, we are of course also looking at how we, as the Foreign Ministry, can help, potentially through the opening up of new markets, in the unfortunate case of these measures’ against our exports continuing to be in force for a long period of time.
The confirmation of compensation from the EU, which we will pursue, is good and welcome, but compensation does not resolve the problem. The problem will be resolved either through our return to the Russian market, or by our finding other, similar markets. I want to stress that this is a problem being faced by many member states, so the EU needs to – and, I think, will – take measures, even if it requires amendment of certain regulations, certain rules, because we are talking about an exceptional case, unforeseeable. So we will continue this effort, and because it takes some time to carry out an assessment, I believe that soon – in a few days, a few weeks – there will be more tangible results, on which, as I say, the Rural Development Ministry has the main say. We are working in a coordinating role and we are also working with our Embassies in other countries and with the Permanent Greek Representation to the EU, which is in direct contact with all those involved on the administrative and political levels.
JOURNALIST: With Moscow? The consultations?
D. KOURKOULAS: We are of course in contact with Moscow, and of course through our Embassy. We have, I would say, a very clear picture of the content of these measures. We know which products come under this Russian Federation decree. We are continuing our contacts, of course, with our counterparts, with our colleagues, in the Russian Federation, including on the political level, if you will, because this matter will also come before the Foreign Affairs Council at the end of August. But also, in the meantime, on a lower level, we are always working, as Greece, towards the diplomatic resolution of this major problem, the major crisis that has arisen in Ukraine, and we will continue our efforts to find a solution that leads to a diplomatic resolution.
August 11, 2014