During the video conference of EU European Affairs Ministers on the response to Covid-19, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis pointed to the need for the European Union to send a strong message of resolve, cooperation and solidarity towards the coronavirus pandemic.
“The member states must work hard together to respond optimally to this health crisis and keep it from creating a political, economic and identity crisis for Europe. If the Union responds effectively to this crisis, it can transform it into an opportunity to gain a leading role on the international stage. This is Europe’s moment,” he stressed.
Specifically, he highlighted the importance of the Union’s responding adequately and effectively, strengthening cohesion among and within the member states without further burdening their public debt. He underscored that the EU must broadcast a message of credibility to the markets, agree on a recovery mechanism for transferring resources in the initial years of the crisis, and mitigate long-term uncertainty, reaching an agreement on the next budget without further delay. He insisted that, in any event, the creation of a Recovery Fund must not disrupt the allocation of funds for existing policies – especially the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.
Mr. Varvitsiotis also raised the issue of safeguarding the fundamental values of the EU, and especially the rule of law during the implementation of extreme measures in response to the crisis. He informed his colleagues that the central theme of the Greek Presidency of the Council of Europe, which starts in May, is human rights and their restriction during this crisis.
Finally, the Alternate Minister pointed to Greece’s successful response to the pandemic, highlighting, however, the risk of repercussions for tourism, which accounts for over 25% of Greece’s GDP. He also added that Greece is currently managing multiple crises, including the situation in Evros and Turkey’s increasing provocations in the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
April 22, 2020