Foreign Ministry announcement regarding the recalling of the Greek Ambassador to Vienna for consultations (25 February 2016)

By decision of Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Greece’s Ambassador to Vienna, Ms. Aliferi, is being called to Athens for consultations aimed at safeguarding the friendly relations between the states and peoples of Greece and Austria.

It is clear that the major problems of the European Union cannot be confronted via thoughts, attitudes and extra-institutional initiatives that have their roots in the 19th century, and nor can the decisions of the heads of state be supplanted by directives from police directors. The latter is a major problem for democracy. It points to the need for the European Union to be protected from various parties who are ignorant of history.

Unilateral initiatives for resolving the refugee crisis, along with violations of international law and the European acquis by member states of the EU, are practices that can undermine the foundations and process of European integration.

Responsibility for dealing with the migration and refugee crisis cannot weigh on one country alone. Common sense dictates that effective handling of this complex problem should be governed by the principles of solidarity and fair burden sharing. Greece is working in such a direction.