E. VENIZELOS: All of the major issues currently facing the world were raised at yesterday’s meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.
The Middle East peace process was the subject of the teleconference we – the 28 European Foreign Ministers – had with U.S. Secretary of State Kerry, who briefed us on his initiatives and the next stages in this process that bears on world peace. And we all offered our good offices toward the successful outcome of this effort.
The Council’s decision on support for Lebanon – on maintaining a channel of communication with all the political forces and on continuation of humanitarian aid – is another very important decision aimed at the stabilization of the region.
And naturally the message sent to the Egyptian authorities, regarding the need to complete the democratic transition, has its own special significance. Because Egypt is a key country in all the developments: the Arab spring, the Middle East peace process, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. We are next-door neighbours – this bears immediately on many chapters of our foreign policy.
Equally important was the meeting I had with my colleague from Azerbaijan. A completely different state of affairs has now been shaped, with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline having brought the two countries closer together. We are determined to organize a strategic political relationship that will have many specific facets in the investment sector, in energy policy in particular, and in other areas.
Naturally, the well-known major problems are always our priority. I collaborated very closely with my Cypriot colleague throughout this effort.
And it is not by chance that I met with Mr. Poposki. We had the opportunity to stress that Greece truly believes in its neighbouring country’s Euroatlantic perspective. But we want this perspective to be built on a healthy and clear foundation, to our mutual benefit.
July 23, 2013