During today’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos raised the issue of the situation in Libya and the repercussions of migration flows in the Mediterranean. Mr. Venizelos noted that it is imperative that the European Union undertake a more specific initiative to stabilize the situation, given that there is an issue of the institutional existence and territorial integrity of the country. He proposed that this initiative be taken in cooperation with the legal government of Libya and in consultation with the Arab League and the African Union, bearing in mind that responsibility for the final approval of the initiative lies with the UN Security Council.
Mr. Venizelos acknowledged the difficulty of refocussing the international community’s attention on Libya, given the situation in Syria. But given that Libya is directly linked to the migration flows and human trafficking in the Mediterranean, there is an imperative need to control migration pressures, which are concentrated, by and large, on the Mediterranean countries of the EU. Europe’s migration problem is not just humanitarian in nature, but is also a matter of security.
As Mr. Venizelos stated, it is vital that comprehensive and effective initiatives be taken to confront migration flows, with the cornerstone being burden-sharing amongst the member states. From this perspective, Italy’s proposal for an ATALANTA-type operation in the Mediterranean must be considered. In this context, Mr. Venizelos referred to the relevant priority of the upcoming Greek Presidency and the cooperation between Greece, Italy, Malta and other Mediterranean member states.
Regarding Ukraine, Mr. Venizelos agreed with the central current of views expressed at the FAC as to the handling of the matter, while he underscored the need to stress once again the inclusive nature of the Eastern Partnership, through the strengthening of the EU’s relations with countries like Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. He added, however, that it should be made clear to these partner countries that they are not facing a dilemma of choosing between cooperation with the European Union or some other alternative.
Mr. Venizelos underscored that Greece, as the next Presidency of the Council of the EU, is prepared to do whatever is necessary to implement the decisions of the Vilnius Summit Meeting, following which a debate of a strategic nature should be organized on the relationship between the EU and Russia.
Finally, Mr. Venizelos participated with Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in the joint session of the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the EU-28, ahead of the upcoming December European Council, at which there will be a discussion of European Defence policy issues. The main subject of discussion at the joint session was the outlook for the European defence industry, of which the Greek defence industry is a part.
November 18, 2013