Deputy PΜ and FΜ Venizelos’ statement on Syria at today’s EU Foreign Affairs Council (Luxembourg)

MV Cape Ray

MFA, Monday, 14 April 2014

In his intervention on Syria at today’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos referred, at the outset, to the need for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on confronting the humanitarian aspects of the crisis, as a human tragedy continues to unfold.

Mr. Venizelos then pointed to the need for an assessment of the impact of the crisis in Ukraine and in EU- and U.S.-Russian relations on the development of the Geneva II process and the mediation of Mr. Brahimi, with the aim of safeguarding the process.

Mr. Venizelos also briefed the Council yet again on the Greek reservations regarding the process for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal.

• Mr. Venizelos reiterated that the Greek position is that the hydrolysis at sea should be carried out in open waters, and not in the Mediterranean. 

Given, however, that this matter is not within the competencies of the European Union, but of the UN Security Council, and if, in the end, hydrolysis in Mediterranean waters is chosen, it must be ensured that full guarantees are provided with regard to the protection of the Mediterranean marine environment, with the European Union actively exercising its role with regard to monitoring the implementation of these guarantees.

All of the member states participating in any way in this operation – under the auspices of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN Security Council – including Denmark, Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom, made assurances once again that in the assessment of their technical advisors, there is no danger from the implementation of the process for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons.

Nevertheless, Mr. Venizelos stressed yet again that there is very strong social sensitivity, particularly in Crete, because in addition to environmental sensitivity, there is the matter of protecting the Mediterranean tourism product, and he asked that these sensitivities and reservations be taken very seriously into account by all involved parties.

mfa.gr

14/4/14 

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Related:

• Σε πλοίο των ΗΠΑ θα καταστραφουν κάποια χημικά/OPCW: Syriens C-Waffen werden auf US-Schiff vernichtet

• ΥΠΕΞ: Δήλωση Αντιπροέδρου της Κυβέρνησης και ΥΠΕΞ Ευ. Βενιζέλου για την απονομή του Βραβείου Νομπέλ Ειρήνης στον Οργανισμό για την Απαγόρευση των Χημικών Όπλων (OPCW)