Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas participated in the EU Foreign Affairs and General Affairs Councils that took place in Brussels on 23 and 24 July.
The FAC carried out a detailed discussion of the dramatic developments in Syria. The Greek side expressed its concern at the situation of minorities, including the Christian minorities in Syria, who have a centuries-old presence there.
In the discussion of the situation in Libya following the recent elections there, the Greek side supported the proposals for the provision of aid, with the main priority of more effective border control.
At the GAC, the Ministers were briefed by the Cypriot Presidency on the course of the complex negotiations on the multiannual financial framework and the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency. Mr. Kourkoulas expressed his certainty that the Cypriot Presidency will be successful, also setting out Greece’s positions of the multiannual financial framework.
Mr. Kourkoulas had bilateral meetings on the margins of the Councils with the Vice President and Foreign Minister of Moldova, Mr. Leanca, Israeli Foreign Minister Mr. Lieberman, and his Irish counterpart Ms. Lucinda Creighton.
The Moldovan Vice President confirmed the excellent relations between the two countries and asked for Greek support in securing Moldova’s European perspective in the future. The Greek Deputy Minister assured him that Greece supports the further tightening of relations on both the bilateral and the European level.
In his meeting with Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Kourkoulas expressed the condolences of the Greek government for the victims of the terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, and they discussed issues concerning the upgrading of EU-Israeli relations and the recent developments in the wider Middle East region.
In his meeting with the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Ireland, the country that will assume the EU Presidency for the first half of 2013, there was a discussion of cooperation issues ahead of the Greek EU Presidency in the first half of 2014. It is to be noted that Ireland, Lithuania and Greece will present a joint programme of activities for the period January 2013 to June 2014.
July 24, 2012