Deputy FM Gerontopoulos visits Moldova

Hellenic MFA, Friday, 24 October 2014:

 

Deputy Foreign Minister Kyriakos Gerontopoulos visited Moldova on Thursday, 23 October. He met in the capital, Chisinau, with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iulian Groza, with whom he discussed Greek-Moldovan bilateral relations, developments in the wider region, and issues concerning Moldova’s European perspective. Mr. Groza expressed his government’s gratitude to Greece, during whose EU Presidency, in the first half of 2014, the Schengen visa requirement was waived for Moldovan citizens.

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement following the conclusion of the final GAC under the Hellenic Presidency (Luxembourg, 24 June 2014)

Hellenic MFA, Tuesday, 24 June 2014

E. VENIZELOS: Today’s General Affairs Council essentially brings to an end the six months of the Hellenic Presidency – Greece’s fifth Presidency since its accession to the European Communities.

At today’s Council, we heard very warm and positive words on behalf of the European Commission and on behalf of the member states, who recognize the work and contribution of the Hellenic Presidency in shaping a new European environment; an environment that must respond to citizens’ demands, which were expressed in the European elections. We will have the opportunity to present the long list of the Hellenic Presidency’s achievements.

Greek Presidency[@gr2014eu]: The most followed EU Presidency account!

As the Greek Presidency enters the final month of its mandate, levels of public involvement via social media networks give us a reason to celebrate: the Presidency’s Twitter account has met with exceptional success, as @gr2014eu is the most followed EU Presidency account thus far, with almost 12,500 followers.

The account was launched on 15 November, 2013 and had attained 5,000 followers by the beginning of the Greek semester. By 26 February, numbers had doubled, reaching the landmark figure of 10,000 followers, while it continues to attract new followers daily, even as the Greek semester enters its final month.

Deputy Prime Minister and FM Venizelos’ Europe Day message (9 May)

Hellenic MFA, Friday, 09 May 2014

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"This year’s Europe Day anniversary, commemorating the day on which Robert Schuman issued his celebrated Declaration, is of particular symbolic importance to Greece, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; a Presidency that has already shown a number of tangible results in many vital sectors.

Greek EU Presidency urges to implement Geneva agreement on Ukraine.

The Greek Presidency of the European Union (EU) on Friday welcomes the Geneva agreement on Ukraine reached by key parties in the four-way talks and urged implementation.

"The points agreed on in Geneva are an important first step toward de-escalating the situation and shaping the conditions for overcoming the crisis in Ukraine," said Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos in a statement:

Deputy PM and FM Venizelos’ statement on the margins of the proceedings of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg (14 April 2014)

MFA, Monday, 14 April 2014
E. VENIZELOS: We are seeing rapid, dangerous developments in Ukraine. The European policy is firm and clear. It is based on two pillars. The first is respect for the international legal order, for national sovereignty and for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and all countries.

The second is the need for de-escalation and avoiding the use or the threat of violence. It is extremely critical for Europe that we not become entangled in a permanent problem, but that we find an agreed, mutually acceptable and practicable solution through political and diplomatic means. This is why we must pursue the holding of the quadrilateral meeting, which has, in principle, been scheduled for this week.

Joint statements of Deputy PM and FM Venizelos and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gherman, following their meeting (Chisinau, 8 April 2014)

MFA, 9/4/14
N. GHERMAN: It’s a reason for joy that this is the first visit of the Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Moldova. And secondly, Mr. Venizelos is visiting us, visiting our country, in another capacity as well, as the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

So in other words he is also representing the Greek chairmanship in the Council of the European Union, today in the Republic of Moldova. For us, that means a lot, since we’ve had the happy occasion to coordinate with my counterpart, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, the European agenda of the Republic of Moldova, in order to synchronize the calendar, the timetable of the events the Greek chairmanship and the Moldovan Republic decided to undertake.

Kourkoulas: Crimean crisis does not block Serbia

BELGRADE - Presiding member of the Council of Ministers of the EU Dimitris Kourkoulas has said that the Crimean crisis will not cause the EU to reconsider its decision concerning Kosovo.

The view of the EU members regarding Kosovo is well known, he told the daily Vecernje novosti, adding that he did not expect it to change as the result of the Ukrainian crisis, and that Greece's stand on the issue would always be based on international law.

Hellenic MoFA: Deputy PM and FΜ Venizelos’ statement to representatives of the Greek Communities of Ukraine (Mariupol, 2 March 2014)

MFA, 2/3/14
Mr. Chancellor,
Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to be here today, in Mariupol, with the administration of the Federation of Greek Associations of Ukraine, which is based in Mariupol, and with representatives of the Hellenism of Ukraine – particularly of this region, which has a very large Greek element.

I am here precisely because Ukraine is going through a very critical time. Greece, as the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at this time, wants to contribute as much as it can to the stabilization of the situation in Ukraine, to there being order, to there being security, to there being a transitional government – democratic, inclusive – in which all of Ukraine’s political, social and regional forces participate; a government that will lead the country to the restoration of democratic order, to presidential elections, to the functioning of a smooth system.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos issues statement regarding the situation in Ukraine. -Hellenic MoFA

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement regarding the situation in Ukraine:

“Let us hope that yesterday’s ceasefire in Ukraine is the first step toward calming the situation and checking the violence. The condemnation of violence is absolute, and all of Ukraine’s political and social forces must contribute so that this crisis can be overcome, so that we can reach a government that is inclusive, consensus-based; a government that will lead the country on the path of unity, of restoration of order, of ensuring territorial integrity; a government that will lead the Ukrainian people towards the great goal, which is for them to emerge as a great nation and a major factor on the European continent, as they are and as they deserve to be.

Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga briefs Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos on the recent referendum in Switzerland. -Hellenic MoFA

MFA, Thursday, 13 February 2014

The head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga, asked to provide a telephone briefing today of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, in his capacity as President of the Council of the EU, regarding the referendum held in Switzerland last Sunday and the resulting amendment to the Swiss Federal Constitution.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos’ Briefing of correspondents accredited to the European institutions in Brussels. -Hellenic MoFA

MFA, Wednesday, 08 January 2014

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E. VENIZELOS: Good morning. I welcome you to Greece, to Athens, on the day of the official opening of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

This Presidency is the fifth Hellenic Presidency of the Council since Greece joined the then European Communities in 1981.

The attainments of the previous Presidencies reside mainly in two major issues. The first is the enlargement of the European Union. Because major enlargement waves were associated with our two previous Presidencies.

Greece to formally assume EU rotating presidency

ATHENS — Authorities shut down roads and deployed riot police in central Athens today (Jan 8) as Greece prepared to formally assume the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency with a ceremony to be attended by EU commissioners.
Events kicked off in the early afternoon with a visit by the commissioners, led by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, to the capital’s Zappeion conference center, ahead of the evening opening ceremony to be held at the Athens Concert Hall.
A subway station near the concert hall was to close for several hours ahead of the ceremony, while a helicopter hovered overhead as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras showed Mr Barroso and the other commissioners around Zappeion. More than 2,000 police were on duty for the events.

Hellenic MoFA: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ welcome speech at the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations conference (19 December 2013)

MFA, Saturday, 21 December 2013

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My Dear Colleagues,

It is a particular honor to be invited by the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations (HESILIR) to open its annual Conference. Unfortunately, despite my desire to the contrary, I will not be able to stay, due to pressing parliamentary obligations.

I would like, first of all, to congratulate the Society on its significant contribution to the promotion of international law, as well as on its intensive activity through the organization of conference’s like today’s, which promote the scientific discourse in the field of international relations.

Hellenic MoFA: But the great challenge for the EU is to be able to bring the national interest of each member state into line with a single European interest.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ speech to the joint session of the Parliamentary committees on Defense & Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, on the priorities of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2014 (13 November 2013)
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Thursday, 14 November 2013

Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen MPs, Greece is preparing to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the fifth time since acceding to what was then the EEC. So we have long experience of carrying out Presidencies.

Greek ambassador: Greece supports Turkey's EU bid. "The necessary conditions for Turkey's accession to EU will be fulfilled"

Ambassador Loukakis says Turkey and Greece have achieved a lot in terms of their mutual economic and cultural relations.
 

Greece supports Turkey's bid to join the European Union, Greek Ambassador in Ankara Kyriakos Loukakis said on Monday.

"I hope that the necessary conditions for Turkey's accession to EU will be fulfilled and Turkey will join the union as soon as possible," Ambassador Loukakis said, while touching on Turkey's application process to accede to the European Union during his visit to the northern Turkish province of Trabzon.

Greek ambassador in Skopje confident on finding a solution for the name dispute.

FYROM News, Skopje, November 5, 2013
Greek ambassador to Skopje, Haris Lalakos said today that he believes that an acceptable mutual solution can be found for the name dispute between Greece and FYROM, but according to him, both countries must make their respective efforts in this process.

“I don’t want to predict anything, but I’d like to stress that I believe a mutual acceptable solution can be found on the issue of the name dispute if both countries are engaged. I believe that compromise is possible”, declared the Greek ambassador today when he was asked by journalists as to whether the name dispute issue will be solved, bearing in mind that next year, Greece will take over the interim presidency of the European Union.

FM Bushati receives his Greek counterpart: Greece must lift the War Act.

By Ariola Imeri ,Tirana, October 14, 2013
At the end of the meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister, Evangelos Venizelos, the Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati declared that this meeting discussed on issues that join the two countries and the intensification of collaboration.

The head of the Albanian diplomacy praised the projects of the Greek government to the Albanian community in Greece, by encouraging their integration.

Amongst others, he praised the role of the Greek community in Albania, by stressing that our country respects the minorities in Albania.