06/09/2019 09:33
Cyprus and Greece further coordinate their actions on the issue of migration, ahead of the EU Home Affairs Council meeting that will take place on October 7 in Luxembourg. Greek Alternate Citizen Protection Minister responsible for Migration Policy, George Koumoutsakos, will be paying a visit to Cyprus on September 16, during which he will hold talks with the Minister of the Interior, Constantinos Petrides.
In statements to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) Petrides confirmed Koumoutsakos’ forthcoming visit, and noted that “we will continue our discussions so that, probably with the participation of other countries as well, we will be able to forge a front of EU countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, and hold joint positions and proposals, in view of the Council of Ministers meeting in October on migration issues, given the existing concerns due to the increased migration flows towards Greece and Cyprus, the particular circumstances in the region and Turkey’s role as regards this issue.”
Petrides noted that Koumoutsakos will be reciprocating his own visit to Greece in July, noting that he was the first Minister Koumoutsakos met after the new Greek government assumed its duties.
Responding to another question, Petrides said that he will seek to have a meeting with the new Italian Interior Minister, Luciana Lamorgese, to see how there could be a common orientation, in the EU framework, on the issue of migration.
Petrides had sent on August 5 a letter to the EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and to his counterparts of the other EU member states, urging all EU member states to submit their pledges for relocating 5000 persons from Cyprus, on the basis of bilateral agreements, and with priority given to vulnerable persons, in order to significantly alleviate the disproportionate pressures and severe challenges faced, both by the Authorities, but also the social structures of the country.