Hellenic MoFA: Joint statements of Deputy Prime Minister Venizelos and UK Foreign Secretary Hague, following their meeting (London, 28 November 2013). -video

Greek MFA, Thursday, 28 November 2013
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W. HAGUE: It’s been a great pleasure to welcome my friend and colleague Evangelos here to London today.

It’s an important time for Greece preparing for the Presidency of the European Union. The United Kingdom is enthusiastic about the Greek Presidency. We discussed the priorities during that period particularly the economic growth across the whole of Europe, the maritime priority, which of course Greece and Italy will be able to take forward . We discussed the issues of migration and issues within the eurozone. So we had a good discussion about European issues.


Also of course we were able to celebrate a good bilateral relationship between the UK and Greece. We have a good economic relationship – more than three billion dollars trade a year – many, many connections between peoples including tourism of course,

And we talked about the global issues, as well, including the agreement we made with Iran last weekend. I have been able to brief my colleague about that and about the next steps in that. One of the reasons we’ve been able to make that agreement is that in Europe we have stood well together in the implementation of sanctions. This involves sacrifices from many countries, including Greece, but it is now paying off because it is helping, seriously helping to bring about an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue.

We have also talked about the situation in Syria and our common support for Geneva peace conference, now set for January, January the 22nd, and so I think we’ve had a good discussion and we want to help in any way during the Greek Presidency of the EU, and I wish our Greek colleagues every success over the coming six months

E. VENIZELOS: William, thank you very much for this invitation and for this excellent opportunity to talk directly with you on a bilateral basis, first of all about the priorities of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

As you know very well, the list of our priorities is very clear. The first priority, not only for Greece, but for every European country and society, is growth, job creation, the protection of the social dimension, the new rules of economic governance, the banking union, the monitoring of the European borders. The problem of illegal immigration.

And our horizontal priority is also very, very important, not only for Greece, for historical and geographical reasons, but for Europe as a whole: the comprehensive maritime policy.

On the global issues we share the same concerns, and we have the same priorities on Syria, on Iran. It’s of vital importance to go ahead with a political solution through the procedure of the Geneva conference. For the Syrian humanitarian crisis, the political solution is the only solution.

The new agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme is something very, very important – and very productive for the Syrian crisis as well.

The Cyprus problem was a central point of our discussion. We need a viable, fair, acceptable solution, always in line with the resolutions of Security Council of the United Nations. A solution accepted by the two communities through a referendum. This is something very important, absolutely vital, for a new moment on Cyprus. We support the initiatives of President Anastasiades, and we are always ready to give our support in any international effort in this direction.

Last but not least is our common willingness to work together, and not just during the semester of the Greek Presidency, to finalize a new European narrative. It’s absolutely vital to present and to offer to our European citizens a new design for Europe, a new project for European integration. This is something absolutely vital.

Especially for countries in crisis, after four years of austerity policies, because now Greece is a credible member of the European Union, ready to project very important, unique, fiscal and structural achievements. Like the primary surplus: the Greek primary surplus is the best in the European Union and the eurozone. And also our structural achievements are absolutely vital for our main goal and main target: the return to growth, to positive growth rates. This is very, very vital and important to us.

Thank you very much, William, once again for your readiness to cooperate with the Greek Presidency and also to cooperate with us on a bilateral basis, and I am waiting now for your visit to Athens.

W. HAGUE: Thank you very much indeed. A couple of questions?

JOURNALIST: On Cyprus first of all. Because you did mention it. First of all, are you concerned by what seems to be a rather slow progress in Cyprus between the two leaders. And also, have you identified any room for further involvement by the EU?

W. ΗAGUE: Well, I don’t think it helps any further for us to talk about slow progress or quick progress. We wish them well in reaching a solution, and the United Kingdom encourages that.

We had a good discussion about it today. I also discussed it in Istanbul last week with the Turkish Prime Minister. Of course we encourage progress and we encourage agreement, but it’s not for the United Kingdom to try to decide what that is.

It would be a tremendous step forward, in European affairs and world affairs, if they find a solution, but that’s up to the people of Cyprus, and it’s up to the leaders involved. So we wish them well in trying to reach that solution.

E. VENIZELOS: On Cyprus, If I can make an additional remark. In Cyprus, we need a viable solution in line with the UN resolutions. But also in line with the European acquis. Cyprus is a member of the European Union. It’s absolutely vital to protect the European character of the Republic of Cyprus.

JOURNALIST: On immigration. Do you find a similar problem?

W. HAGUE: Well we do. Societies do face issues on immigration. We have talked about the challenges in the Mediterranean countries and in particular the need to tackle where this problem arises in source countries, in transit countries.

It’s very important to work with North African countries and to improve security, for instance in Libya, and border security. We are doing a lot of work with the Libyan government and Prime Minister was here on Sunday, and we hope that this will be of help.

And I was explaining the proposals the Prime Minister put forward yesterday, about making sure that the free movement of workers is sustainable for the future. And it is not for benefits that people should be moving – it is for work, and that is very clear in our proposal. So we have had a good discussion about that today. One other question?

JOURNALIST: Mentioning Iran and the concrete steps you discussed with Mr Venizelos, could you maybe detail to us some of those concrete steps. We saw today and we see the UN inspectors have been invited in. What do we expect to move from in the short term to the long term on that issue?

W. HAGUE: Well the next term is the former joint commission between the E3 plus 3 and Iran, which will oversee the implementation of the agreement that we made at the weekend. And the agreement also involves much more access, much more regular access to more sites of the IAEA inspectors, and these arrangements have to be put in place ready for the sixth-month period of this agreement to begin, which we hope will be before the end of January.

And by that time the European Union will be asked to suspend some sanctions – the ones sought out in the agreement – the United States will be doing the same, and we expect the Iranians to be ready to implement their side of the agreement. So all this has to be done in the coming weeks. and it is very important to maintain the momentum behind this agreement. I better let you go.

Thank you very much indeed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ statements to Greek correspondents (translated from Greek)

E. VENIZELOS: The meeting and working luncheon we had with my British colleague William Hague was an excellent opportunity to present the priorities of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The priorities are well known, and the British government expressed its readiness to work with us and offer any help that might be needed.

Of course, when we talk about growth, job creation, the protection of the EU’s social dimension, we are expressing mainly the continental outlook, but the British outlook is also necessarily very close, because this is a priority for every European society.

The deepening of economic governance in the eurozone and in the EU is also very important for the banking union, but when we talk about the banking union, we are talking about the protection of deposits, the pan-European mechanism for protection of deposits, so that we don’t have dramatic inequities between the member states in the banking sector.

The third priority is immigration, legal immigration and the confronting of illegal migration, the protection of European borders, always with respect for international agreements and human rights.

And our horizontal priority is maritime policy, comprehensive maritime policy, from development, fisheries and the environment, to maritime zones.

I think all of these brought us to a very good point of contact with Mr. Hague.

We also discussed the Cyprus issue. The UK is a guarantor power. The Cyprus problem is an international problem that must be resolved justly, within a viable framework, in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and in accordance with the European acquis. Because the Republic of Cyprus is a member state of the European Union, and because the solution must be accepted, via a referendum, by the two communities on the island. Without a referendum and without popular approval, nothing can happen. We support all of President Anastasiades’ initiatives, but the be-all end-all of the initiatives is acceptance by the Cypriot people through a referendum.

On the major international problems – on the Syria crisis, on Iran – we agree along general lines with the British government. The recent agreement in Geneva for Iran is very, very important – it facilitates the Geneva process for Syria. We also talked about Egypt, the situation in Libya, the situation throughout the Mediterranean.

Of course, a major issue that we looked at was the course of the Greek economy’s adjustment programme, the fiscal and structural achievements, because, thanks to the sacrifices of the Greek people, Greece can now exercise the Presidency in a credible manner.

But the most basic thing is for us – as Europe and as Greece – is to be able to propose to our people and the peoples of Europe a new narrative for the future of Europe. A narrative that cannot be identified with austerity, with the crisis. It has to identify again with stability, democracy, rule of law, the social state, prosperity.

JOURNALIST: When does the EU see the lifting the sanctions on Iran?

E. VENIZELOS: From this very first step that has been taken, there will be a gradual lifting and relaxation of the sanctions. We are part of the mainstream of the international community, and we always accept and implement all the decisions of the EU, but the repercussions of the sanctions concern us as well. They do not concern just Iran. They also concern European countries.

So it is vital that this should move ahead in a credible manner, so that all the other countries in the region can feel secure, and so that we can take steps in the direction of resolving a major international problem that has been plaguing the international community for years.

JOURNALIST: Was there any discussion of the possibility of direct British investments in Greece, given that the Greek economy is on the mend?

E. VENIZELOS: There are already significant direct British investments in Greece. The most characteristic sector is the energy sector. In the very critical sector of exploration for hydrocarbons and the future exploitation of hydrocarbons, we have a very strong British presence in Greece.

We also have very close cooperation on via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), because BP, a British-interest company, is one of the main partners in the TAP. So the British presence is very important from that perspective.

And bearing in mind that Britain plays a decisive role in the finance sector, it is important that the British government be aware, firsthand, of what the situation is in the Greek economy and what our government’s strategic decisions are. Because there is a government in Greece that is fighting to bring the country out of the crisis; a government that is stable, but that wants the support of its partners.

JOURNALIST: Did you talk to Mr. Hague about what we heard yesterday from Mr. Cameron regarding benefits for European immigrants, and mainly free movement?

E. VENIZELOS: We had the opportunity for a detailed discussion on this basis: fundamental community freedoms, including freedom of movement, are one thing, and protection of European borders from illegal migrants is another – migrants from third countries; migrants without papers.

There should be no confusion between European citizens, on the one hand, and citizens of third countries who are trying to enter the EU illegally. So this has to be fully discerned, and I think what I am saying is very, very clear and very simple.

Thank you very much.
mfa.gr
29/11/13
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