Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos participated today, Wednesday, 16 April 2014, in a Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Mediterranean Group – the Informal Cooperation Group of EU Mediterranean Countries, including Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, and Malta – that took place today in Alicante, Spain.
The Meeting looked at, among other things, the prospects for and course of the Union for the Mediterranean, the matter of migration flows in the Mediterranean and the efforts to strengthen cooperation on confronting said flows.
There was also a discussion of the ways to achieve a more equitable allotment of funding for the strengthening of Frontex, with the aim of improving the surveillance of maritime borders – issues that are priorities of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Finally, the Meeting also saw a discussion of Southern Neighbourhood issues, with emphasis on the situations prevailing in Libya and Syria.
In his intervention, and in a follow-up to his presentation at this past Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council working luncheon, Mr. Venizelos again raised the matter of the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, stressing Greece’s clear position that any relevant activity be avoided at sea in Mediterranean waters.
Mr. Venizelos underscored that if the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons decide to carry out some phase of the operation in the Mediterranean, it is vital that all necessary measures be taken for the complete protection of the Mediterranean marine environment.
The Foreign Minister of Malta agreed with the Greek position. The Foreign Minister of Italy made assurances, however, that Italy, which has provided the port of Calabria for the carrying out of this operation, has already checked and fully ensured the protection of the Mediterranean marine environment.
Mr. Venizelos asked that the relevant data be sent by the Italian side, also stating that he will undertake an initiative to invite the Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to the Hellenic Parliament to deliver a direct briefing on the matter.
April 16, 2014