Following this morning’s informal meeting of the 28 EU Foreign Ministers with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, and before the opening of the EU Foreign Affairs Council under the Presidency of High Representative Catherine Ashton, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement on the situation in Ukraine and yesterday’s referendum in Crimea:
“The common European stance is very clear. The European policy must be a policy of principles. Our goal is, at the same time, respect for international law and the safeguarding of stability and peace. The solutions must always be political and diplomatic, and the European Union must ensure its credibility and ability to function as a basic factor for stability on the European continent. Thus, our message is a message of support for international law, but, at the same time, of the need for the political and diplomatic channels to be preserved and to function.”
March 17, 2014