Med Group’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs gave a joint Press
Conference
The deliberations of the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the
Med Group were concluded this afternoon, 26 February 2016, in Limassol. The
Meeting was presided over by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Mr
Ioannis Kasoulides, with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Malta and the State Minister for European
Affairs of France. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean
(UfM), Mr Fathallah Sijilmassi, also attended the working lunch.
The seven Ministers discussed, inter alia, security and stability
issues in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with particular emphasis on the
situation in Syria and Lebanon, the recent developments in Libya, while views
were exchanged on the ways to address the phenomena of terrorism and migration
in the wider Sahel region. During the working lunch, the institutional relations
between the EU and the Arab World were discussed. The Ministerial Meeting was
concluded with the adoption of Joint Communiqué (see Press Release, no.
10).
Then, speaking during a joint Press Conference, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, upon welcoming his counterparts,
expressed his pleasure for hosting in Cyprus the 3 rd Informal
Ministerial Meeting of the Med Group.
Minister Kasoulides highlighted that the Med Group “is an informal
consultations forum of the seven European Union’s Mediterranean member states
and its main aim is to exchange ideas
and views on issues of shared concern in an informal way, and coordinate, where possible, our positions.
It was created in 2014 and, as I said before, this is the 3 rd
Ministerial Meeting with the other two taking place in Alicante, Spain, in 2014
and in Paris, France, in 2015.
During these two days we had the chance with the colleagues from
France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain to exchange views and discuss
in length hot issues in the EU agenda”.
During a working lunch, held in the presence of the Secretary General
of the Union for the Mediterranean, Mr Fathallah Sijilmassi, the Ministers of
Foreign Affairs exchanged views on the institutional relations between the EU,
the Southern Mediterranean partners and the Arab world, adding that present at
the deliberations today was also Mr Pedro Serrano, the Representative of the
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mrs
Federica Mogherini.
Specifically, the discussion focused on the Syrian conflict and “what
is crucial now is the implementation of the plan on the cessation of hostilities
that was agreed by the USA and Russia. Its success would be a small, but
decisive step towards a credible political process. In this respect, it is very
important for countries in the region to desist from any, particularly military,
actions that could derail this track”.
As regards the issue of supporting Lebanon and Jordan, the seven
Ministers agreed on the need for the EU to enhance its support to them.
Concerning the situation in Libya, Minister Kasoulides underlined
that they had the opportunity to review the recent developments and political
situation in the country. “We agreed that it is important that the House of
Representatives approves the recently proposed Government of National Accord and
that a functioning Government takes up its duties in Tripoli as soon as
possible. This would pave the way to initiate the restoration of stability in
the country and, of course, we also discussed how the EU can assist the future
Libyan Government to respond to the multiple challenges it would face”, he
stressed.
Also, the security linkages between Libya and the Sahel region were
discussed, as well as the broader EU actions on counter-terrorism and migration
in this context.
Minister Kasoulides underlined that, with his counterparts, they held
a very good discussion on migration, pointing out that “this issue is testing
our unity and ability to handle it, respecting EU fundamental principles and the
relevant provisions of international law. As you are aware, the Med Group
countries are frontline states and we all share the view that unilateral actions
cannot be a solution to this crisis. A comprehensive and systematic approach
must be pursued at the EU-level”.
Finally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus stressed that
“there are decisions taken by several meetings of the Council of the EU. The
Dutch Presidency has made a sort of list of 14 blocks of decisions already made.
These decisions are not to be implemented by countries selectively, a la carte.
We have to implement them all, each country taking part of its responsibilities
if there is going to be a solution to the problem”.
“A joint Communiqué describing in full the deliberations of this
meeting has been agreed and will be circulated immediately after this Press
conference”, Minister Kasoulides said.
Replying to a question on what specifically could the frontline
states do to convince partners to assist to cease these unilateral actions that
threaten the EU unity, Minister Kasoulides repeated that the first test is
European solidarity, while the second test is “the implementation of the
decisions already taken by the European Union. Because, if they are implemented
in total, then there will be no unfairness to nobody”.
Invited to say what the EU should do regarding Turkey, which do not
seem to comply with its commitments regarding the migration issue, Minister
Kasoulides referred to the European Council to be held on 7 March, with the
presence probably of either President Erdogan or Prime Minister Davutoglu, where
this issue is going to be discussed.
In a question on what the Southern European countries could do in
order to find a solution to the migration crisis, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Cyprus stressed that “when we say implement all the decisions already
taken unanimously, in several European Councils, it says it all. All of us, in
the spirit of European solidarity, we should implement what it has always been
decided”.
