Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis met at the Foreign Ministry today, 3 November 2015, with the Secretary General of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Elhadj As Sy, who was accompanied by four high-ranking IFRC officials. Personnel from co-competent Foreign Ministry Directorates participated in the meeting, along with the Greek Permanent Representative to Geneva.
Having welcomed his visitors, Mr. Amanatidis briefly described the refugee crisis being faced by our country and the EU in general, and he thanked the IFRC for its work in this sector, particularly with regard to Greece. Mr. Amanatidis stated that “to solve the refugee crisis, we need to confront its causes, which are the ongoing armed conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.” In this context, he made mention of the recent Athens International Conference on “Religious and Cultural Plurality and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East,” which was held by the Foreign Ministry.
Mr. Elhadj As Sy thanked Mr. Amanatidis for the Foreign Ministry’s hospitality and noted that the IFRC, which is active in Syria, had warned the international community of the extent of the humanitarian disaster resulting from the refugee crisis.
Finally, there was an exploration of ways for the Greek state to assist in the work of the IFRC in confronting the refugee crisis in Greece.
November 3, 2015