The following are excerpts from Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas’s press conference following the London Conference on Libya (29 March 2011):
· “There was broad international participation, 35 Foreign Ministers from allied and friendly countries. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also here, and this was very important for us, because, as I always stress, we want all of these actions to be fully legitimized by the United Nations.”
· “The Conference once again sent a very strong message: That international legality must be respected; that UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 must be respected. The main goal and the main message is, once again, an immediate ceasefire and a halt to the violence against the civilian population in Libya.”
· “The military action cannot provide a long-term, sustainable solution. Of primary importance – and this is a central pillar of Greece’s policy – is respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya. The Libyan people must be given the chance to decide on their own about their future.”
· “The provision of humanitarian assistance to Libya is an important matter. The EU can have a significant role here. I stressed that Greece – and Crete in particular – can play a substantial role.”
· “We decide on the setting up of a Contact Group. It is vital that the Arab countries, the countries in the region, also participate in this process. Qatar has already offered to host the first meeting of the Contact Group. We will see when that can be held. We don’t have a clear timeframe, but I reckon that this meeting might be held by mid-April.”
March 30, 2011