EU denies ignoring Greece objections on Russia sanctions
The European Union denied Wednesday that it ignored Greek
objections when it issued a statement raising the prospects of new sanctions
against Russia.
The row is the first of several clashes expected between
Brussels and Greece's new prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, who was elected
Sunday on promises to renegotiate the bailout granted to Greece by its European
neighbours and the International Monetary Fund, reports dpa.
Tsipras has in the past also spoken out against sanctions on
Russia, rejecting the use of "Cold War language."
The EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia for
its role in the Ukraine crisis, notably economic measures restricting Russian access
to European credit markets and European exports.
On Tuesday morning, EU leaders in a joint statement tasked
their foreign ministers with considering "further restrictive
measures" when they meet on Thursday.
But Tsipras complained to Greek media that his country had
not been consulted on the statement.
"Greece does not consent," a statement by Tsipras'
office said on Tuesday evening, adding that the announcement from Brussels
violated "proper procedure."
A spokesman for EU President Donald Tusk, who issued the
statement on behalf of the leaders, denied that Athens had been sidelined
during the preparation of the text.
"We consulted everybody, as we always do, and we didn't
ignore or sidestep Greece in any way - quite to the contrary," Preben
Aamann told dpa. "We tried to find a special solution that would
accommodate them."
Greek broadcaster Skai said newly appointed Foreign Minister
Nikos Kotzias would bring up the issue at Thursday's meeting in Brussels.
Tsipras is also expected in the Belgian capital on February 12 for an EU summit
that will touch upon the situation in Ukraine.
EU sanctions require unanimity to be implemented, so a Greek
veto could block any further measures.
An EU source said it is "too early to say" if the
Tsipras government is fundamentally opposed to the bloc's approach on Russia or
if the issue with the statement could be chalked up to the tumult of a
government changeover.
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