Representing Greece at the EU-UN conference on Syria, which was held in Brussels with the aim of jump-starting the process for finding a political solution in Syria, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Amanatidis, stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Syria to ensure access to humanitarian aid. In his remarks, the Greek Deputy Minister welcomed UN Security Council Resolution 2401 on the cessation of hostilities in Syria, condemned the use of chemical weapons, and underscored that Greece supports the efforts to eradicate chemical weapons. Continuing, Mr. Amanatidis stressed the need for all international players to contribute towards the continuation of the political consultations in Geneva, and he welcomed the efforts of the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN for Humanitarian Affairs and those of the UN Special Envoy for Syria. Mr. Amanatidis stressed that Greece sees no alternative to finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis. “We support the inclusive political dialogue in Geneva, under the auspices of the UN. The goal is to achieve a framework agreement, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” Mr. Amanatidis stated. He also noted that the EU must strengthen its role in Syria, not just through peacebuilding, but also by contributing to the country’s reconstruction, which must begin as soon as conditions allow. “As we are now in the post-Da’esh era, the faster the country is stabilised, the lower the risk of the population’s radicalization. The international community must act promptly,” Mr. Amanatidis added. He underscored that Greece is in favour of an “inclusive political process” in which all parties are adequately represented, to the benefit of future unity and reconciliation in the country. Mr. Amanatidis referred to the “symbolic” contribution of Greece, which has provided €300,000 in humanitarian aid to the Red Crescent, Unicef, the UNHCR, the WFP and Lebanon in support of relief for Syrian refugees. At the same time, he stressed that Greece is unrelenting in its efforts to respond to the pressures of migration flows on its eastern land and sea borders, noting that total flows from May to December 2017 increased by 28% compared with 2016, while a significant increase has been seen in the first months of 2018. He underscored that implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement of 16 March 2018 – through which 1,583 irregular migrants have been returned from Greece to Turkey, to date – remains a priority. The Deputy Minister noted that a large number still remain in Greece – some 15,000 at the island hotspots – as they have applied for asylum and their cases must be considered by the competent committees and, subsequently, the courts. Moreover, he highlighted the importance of increased international assistance, through the provision of financial and technical support, for countries hosting refugees. Finally, he stressed the need to establish an effective EU policy on the return of migrants, based on the strengthened mandate given to the European Border and Coast Guard, and to emphasize and promote cooperation with third countries on readmissions.
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