Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos participated today in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels.
The Council proceedings began with a working luncheon for the Foreign Ministers, who discussed recent developments in the Middle East, with emphasis on the peace process for the Palestinian issue and the situation in Syria, as well as EU-Russian relations ahead of the 21 December EU-Russia Summit Meeting. Within the framework of the luncheon, the Foreign Ministers met with the head of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Mr. Al Khatib. The FAC afternoon session looked at developments in Egypt and Libya, and the Belgrade-Pristina talks.
In his statement on the Middle East peace process, Mr. Avramopoulos stressed that the two sides – the Israelis and the Palestinians – need to return to the negotiating table and secure the prospect of a two-state solution, which is the only viable prospect. This goal was also served by Greece’s recent vote at the UN General Assembly in favor of upgrading Palestine’s status at the UN. Mr. Avramopoulos closed his statement by stressing that it is of critical importance that the two sides avoid actions that undermine dialogue.
Regarding developments in Syria, Mr. Avramopoulos reiterated Greece’s firm stance in favor of the pursuit of a political solution and the opening of a dialogue that will enable the Syrian people to decide on their future. He stressed the need for an immediate stop to the hostilities and the importance of protecting the rights and security of all the Syrian communities, making express reference to Syria’s Christian population and Greek Orthodox community, in light of the latter’s recent loss of their spiritual leader.
With regard to the upcoming EU-Russia Summit, Mr. Avramopoulos underscored the strategic nature of EU-Russian cooperation, stressing the shared interest of the two sides in deepening their dialogue on both the political level – for meeting common global challenges – as well as in the economic sector, with emphasis on energy, trade and tourism. In his statement, Mr. Avramopoulos pointed up the importance of liberalizing the visa regime for Russian citizens – a move that will open the gates of Europe to Russian society and citizens.
Tomorrow, Mr. Avramopoulos will participate in the proceedings of the General Affairs Council (GAC), which will begin in the morning with the plenary session’s discussion of, among other things, preparation of the conclusions of the European Council of 13-14 December. European Council President Rompuy will host a working luncheon, and the GAC’s afternoon session will look at the conclusions on enlargement policy. The Irish-Lithuanian-Greek Presidency Trio will present their 18-month programme during the Council proceedings.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kourkoulas is accompanying the Foreign Minister in Brussels.
December 10, 2012