At the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on December 17, which concentrated on the preparation of the Conclusions of the European Council-Summit Meeting on December 19-20, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos focused on the European Parliament elections in May 2014 and the need for a new European narrative that is more optimistic and citizen-friendly for all Europeans, particularly to the young generation facing the threat of unemployment.

With regard to the Common Security and Defence Policy, he underlined that "EU-NATO relations must be approached in a more open and functional manner, ensuring -whatever the case- the participation of all 28 EU member states, including the Republic of Cyprus" and added that the conclusions contain a very strong reference to the need to maintain the European industrial and technological defense infrastructure.

Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos instructed yesterday Greece’s Ambassador to Belgrade Konstantinos Oikonomidis to officially notify the Serbian government that the Greek Presidency of the European Council intends to convene an Intergovernmental Conference, on January 21, 2014, on the opening of Serbia’s accession negotiations with the EU.

According to a foreign ministry announcement, Venizelos also instructed the Ambassador to convey Greece's congratulations on the new phase that Serbia is entering with the launch of the Belgrade-Pristina talks. Venizelos also instructed Greece’s Ambassador in Tirana Leonidas Rokanas to notify the Albanian government of the stance Greece supported at the EU General Affairs Council, in favour of the immediate granting of candidate-country status to Albania.