Xavier Bettel and Donald Tusk have the intention of making every effort to "talk, listen, be respectful and try to find solutions in the interest of 28 countries and 500 million citizens" throughout the Presidency
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel i welcomed Donald Tusk i, President of the European Council, in Luxembourg on 9 July 2015 for an interview during which he spoke about the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU.
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Donald Tusk and Xavier Bettel in Luxembourg on 9 July 2015
(c) SIP/Claude Piscitelli
Donald Tusk emphasised the extent to which holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU is an "important and demanding" task which requires "hard work, a lot of patience and great negotiation skills". Convinced that Luxembourg is both "well-prepared" and has a "wealth of experience", the President of the European Council pledged his full support to Xavier Bettel for the "considerable challenges" that lie ahead in the coming months. The two leaders affirmed their commitment to working together and to making every effort "to talk, listen, be respectful and try to find solutions in the interest of 28 countries and 500 million citizens' as stated by Xavier Bettel.
"We want a Presidency which is close to and in the interest of the citizens", pointed out the Prime Minister who underlined the fact that social issues would play a key role. "Climate-related issues should not be forgotten", he insisted, drawing attention to the fact that the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) "must be a success".
In addition to the priorities of the Presidency, Xavier Bettel and Donald Tusk discussed current affairs, such as migration and Greece.
Migration - Xavier Bettel hopes that "solidarity will be a reality"
"We have worked hard" on the issue of migration, stated Xavier Bettel. The challenge lies in implementing the decisions of the June European Council in that regard. The item is on the agenda of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs who are also meeting in Luxembourg on 9 July 2015. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg expressed his hope that "solidarity will be a reality". Donald Tusk asserted that the Luxembourg Presidency will be closely involved in the preparations of future summits. "The way in which we face the challenge of migration will affect the Schengen area", observed the President of the European Council.
Greece - "It is time to take decisions", believes Xavier Bettel
"We are expecting serious proposals from the Greek Government", stated the Prime Minister, stressing the need to receive them as soon as possible so that they can be analysed at Eurogroup level. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg wants "formal proposals" from the Greek authorities, in so far as he believes that "the time for discussions is running out and that the time has come to take decisions".
"We are expecting proposals from Greece that are both comprehensive and accurate, as well as concrete and realistic", stated Donald Tusk, who is of the opinion that, at the same time, creditors should respond to realistic proposals from Athens with "an equally realistic proposal on debt sustainability". "Otherwise, the slow dance of the past five months will continue", warned the President of the European Council, who believes that he is entitled to expect "willingness and a sense of responsibility" from both parties.
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