The European Union must tackle the instrumentalization of migration with a horizontal overview, Greece and Cyprus underlined at the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday, said diplomatic sources.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias expressed his support for any potential measures taken against Belarus, and he also mentioned Turkey’s role in the events that took place at the Greek-Turkish border in Evros in March 2020, sources added.
The Greek minister also highlighted his full support to his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides, in relation to mass arrivals of migrants via the occupied territories, it was added.
In this context, the European Union must deal with all such issues arising from the instrumentalization of migration by any country, and proceed with imposing the relevant measures and sanctions, it was noted.
Regarding a document which contains proposals for imposing measures against Turkey, both Greece and Cyprus stressed the importance of submitting it as soon as possible, and that the necessary preparations should be made so that decisions can be taken at the next Foreign Affairs Council in December. This proposal was accepted by EU High Representative Josep Borrell, and the relevant document will be presented at the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union (COREPER) next week, sources said.
Dendias also paid emphasis to the signirficance of the integration of Western Balkan countries into the European community, and he underlined the need for convening the first intergovernmental summit with both Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia.
SOURCE: AMNA