The EU Council of General Affairs Council was officially adopted today by the EU General Affairs Council, the Security Action Regulation for Europe (SAFE).

As diplomatic sources point out, there have been opinions and announcements that have nothing to do with reality.

The following are being stated:

1. The road to permanent participation of third countries in EU equipment programs. Inaccurate: The regulation is a specific funding program, limited (four years).

2. Greece could block the adoption of the regulation. Inaccurate: The regulation was adopted by a special majority. They agreed 26 of the 27 Member States, including Cyprus.

3. Greece has not been able to pass substantial improvements to the Plan of Regulation. Inaccurate: The rest of the Member States were in favor of adopting the regulation, even in its original version before the Greek proposals. It could therefore have been adopted without any change. Greece, during the negotiations, has managed to secure strong legal basis for the conditions for participation of candidates for the integration of countries.

4. Greece will have no say in any future EU-Troid Agreement because the participation of third countries in SAFE is automatic after the regulation is passed. Inaccurate: The regulation sets the general framework of the procedure. Bilateral EU agreements with the third country will follow, provided that the conditions are met. Therefore, the stage of the bilateral agreement will concern each particular country is crucial. Greek intervention, to sign any such bilateral agreement requires unanimity, under Article 212 TFEU, in conjunction with Article 218 TFEU. This results from the causal thinking no. 23 of the Regulation in conjunction with the statement of the Commission recorded in the minutes of the May 18 Coreper II meeting that it intends to use Article 212 TFEU as a legal basis for these agreements.

5. Greece did not take into account its national interests in the participation of third countries. Inaccurate: Greece has managed to be included in Article 16 of the Safe Regulation on the rules of eligibility for companies and third-country nationals, as a prerequisite to take into account the EU security and defense interests.

In conclusion, and unanimity and take into account national security interests. Complex foreign policy issues must be studied in depth and are not capable of superficial and arbitrary interpretation of serving political purposes. It is required to serve the gravity of the issues.