The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, held a video conference today with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, ahead of Greece’s assumption of the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 15 May.
More specifically, Mr. Varvitsiotis informed Ms. Pejčinović Burić that the Hellenic Chairmanship’s central theme will be the Covid-19 pandemic, in combination with, on the one hand, protection of human rights and public health, and, on the other hand, the impact of the anti-pandemic measures on the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Secretary General Pejčinović Burić expressed her satisfaction and thanked the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs for the choice of central theme, which is already the subject of extensive debate in the context of the Council of Europe.
,Mr. Varvitsiotis announced that, in light of the restrictions imposed to protect human life and public health, the Hellenic Chairmanship will rely heavily on digital media, adding that, for this reason, the necessary technical infrastructure has been created to support what will essentially be an E-Chairmanship. Ms. Pejčinović Burić said that the emergency conditions citizens are experiencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic necessitate recourse to modern means of communication, congratulating Greece on the spirit of innovation with which it is undertaking the presidency of the Council of Europe and on its overall management of the coronavirus crisis.
May 7, 2020