Greece plans to have a low-budget, yet productive and targeted EU presidency, Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas said at a press conference on December 12. Existing facilities at the Zappeion Hall, now being suitably upgraded, will be used for nearly all the meetings held in Athens and that much of the necessary equipment, including cars, was donated by sponsors; he stressed that the management of the presidency's unusually low budget of €50 million was being carefully monitored.

Kourkoulas stated that there will be 14 informal ministerial councils, 35 meetings of high-level officials, 57 working groups and 33 conferences and seminars taking place in Greece over the next six months.

Last but not least, there will be a cultural aspect to the Greek presidency, such as a musical event at the Athens Concert Hall, on the sidelines of the College of Commissioners' meeting in Athens on January 8, the launch concert by the Armonia Atenea (Athens Camerata) Orchestra in Brussels on January 14 and the exhibition Nautilus - Navigating Greece. Furthermore, the Hellenic Post (ELTA) will issue a special-edition stamp.

On the same day, Dimitris Kourkoulas met with the visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkov. The two officials discussed a framework of understanding ahead of the more frequent contacts between EU and Russia, during the Greek Presidency. The Deputy FM also met with Serbian Minister of European Integration, Branko Ruzic. The two discussed the prospect for the opening of Serbia’s accession negotiations during the Greek Presidency of the EU, at the first semester of 2014.