Contact: Jennifer Myers
The Aspen Institute
202-286-1680 | jennifer.myers@aspeninstitute.org
Statement on Greece from the Aspen Ministers Forum
As a group of fifteen former Foreign Ministers meeting in Berlin this week, we have been closely monitoring the ongoing Greece-EU crisis. We are gravely concerned about the upcoming referendum and the fate of negotiations over Greece’s finances.
An exit from the Euro would not only imperil Greece’s future role in Europe and undermine the European project; it would also impose extraordinary economic hardship on the Greek people.
Obviously only the Greek people can determine their future. For us, Greece’s place is in the Eurozone. We call upon the Greek government and EU partners to make another attempt and resume talks with the aim of achieving an agreement. It is still possible.
This crisis is not only about the future of the Eurozone, it is about the future of Europe. Both Greece and the European Union are stronger together. It is time to move past this crisis and choose a better future for all of Europe.
Signatories from the Aspen Ministers Forum:
Madeleine K. Albright – United States
Lloyd Axworthy – Canada
Shlomo Ben Ami – Israel
Erik Derycke – Belgium
Alexander Downer – Australia
Joschka Fischer – Germany
Jaime Gama – Portugal
Ibrahim Gambari – Nigeria
Marwan Muasher – Jordan
Surin Pitsuwan – Thailand
Lydie Polfer – Luxembourg
Malcolm Rifkind – United Kingdom
Adam Daniel Rotfeld – Poland
Javier Solana – Spain
Knut Vollebæk – Norway
The Aspen Instituteis an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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