Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ intervention in the informal EU General Affairs Council in Coimbra, Portugal: Main points (17 -18.05.2021)

Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis referred to the importance of the EU’s Strategic Autonomy and its role in the field of defence and international security, during the informal EU General Affairs Council held in Coimbra, Portugal.

In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis stressed that it is very important to realise that we live in a rapidly changing world and that nothing is a given anymore. He noted that the most striking example of this rapid change is the pandemic crisis, and the same applies for international security issues. He added that the European Union has an important role to play in addressing these issues, enhancing its influence in the international system to address the security deficits caused by international crises. The Alternate Minister also commented that efforts should be undertaken to achieve convergence of Member States’ views on the geopolitical, green and digital dimension of resilience, given the different approaches available. At the same time, he stressed the special importance of cooperation in the field of Defence, which, as he said, should be upgraded without overlaps and have the necessary additional resources, so that Europe can play the role agreed by the Member States.

In parallel, the Alternate Minister participated in a High-Level Conference on the Rule of Law in Europe, organized under the Portuguese Presidency.