Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, following the Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 21 October, had the opportunity to discuss with journalists the challenges facing the Greek Presidency in this field. In his press conference, the deputy Prime Minister made the following remarks:

"Concerning the Eastern Partnership - the EU policy aimed at bringing Eastern neighbour countries closer to the European Union - the Greek Presidency has both the institutional obligation and the political will to undertake all necessary initiatives to contribute to the fulfillment of the decisions taken during the Lithuanian Presidency [...] Greece pays particular attention to the region having recently inaugurated a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, mainly due to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline agreement signed by Greece, Italy and Albania. 

 

The eastern Mediterranean – which together with southern Europe remains for Greece of special interest – is another focal point. Concerning Syria, the Greek Presidency will contribute to the preparation and the successful conduct of the Geneva II peace conference, unanimously recognized as the only way to a political solution. In this direction, bringing to an end the humanitarian crisis in Syria is another initiative already taken by many foreign affairs ministers that needs to be sustained, in order to permit the supply of humanitarian aid to the suffering population.  

 

Moreover, Egypt, as a key country in the wider region, must remain stable, as a crisis in Egypt – what’s more, an uncontrollable crisis – will have disastrous effects on all fronts that are open in the region.

 

Concerning Libya, it is important to keep in mind how crucial this country is for the delineation of maritime zones in the Mediterranean, a horizontal priority of the Greek Presidency. Libya also plays an important role in illegal immigration flows, bearing in mind the recent tragedies in Lampedusa and Sicily [...]  A totally new approach to this issue regarding more ambitious and large scale initiatives needs to be adopted, as migration is a major political issue in the EU [...] Current structures and the existing budget are not sufficient for combating illegal immigration [...] To this end, the Greek Presidency will take all necessary initiatives to promote an efficient and humane solution, one that guarantees a fair sharing of the burden among all European countries, according to the principle of European solidarity".