Athens, 29 July 2010

On Friday, 30 July, Alternate Foreign Minister Mr. Droutsas will depart for Belgrade and Pristina, where he will carry out a visit on 30 and 31 July. In Belgrade, Mr. Droutsas will be received by Serbian Patriarch Irinej, as well as Serbian President Tadic.

He will also have a working dinner with Serbian Foreign Minister Jeremic, with whom he will also sign a Greek-Serbian Memorandum of Cooperation on European Union issues. Furthermore, during his stay in Belgrade Mr. Droutsas will meet with Greek businesspersons. In Pristina, Mr. Droutsas will meet with Messrs. Sejdiu and Thaçi.

This trip is being carried out in light of the ICJ advisory opinion, and Mr. Droutsas had the opportunity to discuss this issue and his desire to carry out this trip at the General Affairs Council in Brussels this past Monday.

The message we will be conveying is that the European Union is moving in coordinated steps, stressing that the future of the region lies in the EU. This is the basic message we need to focus on, while also listening carefully to positions stated by the parties regarding the next steps to be taken.

We believe that the advisory opinion can serve as a springboard for a substantial political process that will facilitate cooperation and understanding with a view to the European future of the region.