European Council summit
Quote from Philippe Lamberts MEP
On the ongoing European Council summit, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, Philippe Lamberts MEP, comments:
"Nearly two months after the stolen election in Belarus, the European Council has finally agreed to sanctions against members of Lukashenka's illegitimate regime, which is better late than never. The EU supports the people of Belarus and their right to live in a free and democratic country. However, this act of solidarity should not have taken so long, it is a clearly failure of design that much needed EU action can be held up for months. The EU desperately needs to move beyond unanimity in the Council if our Union is to be seen as a serious geo-political player.
"We stand in full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. The solution to disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean can only be found if all sides avoid nationalistic rhetoric and come to a peaceful dialogue. EU member states must make it clear to the government of Turkey that it risks its relations with its neighbours and its standing in the region if it continues with its antagonistic policies. Instead of arguing over extracting outdated fossil fuels in the Eastern Mediterranean we need to develop a common energy policy, based on renewable energies, that will lead to jobs, security and cooperation."
Council conclusions on external relations can be found here.
