European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras his satisfa-ction for the “significant Greek efforts” in fulfilling g the country’s commitments towards the EU on the refugee issue during their meeting in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon, European sources said.
The same sources said the meeting between the two men focused on the issues that will be discussed at the EU Summit meeting starting on Thursday, which are Euro-pean Union’s relations with Britain, migration and issues concerning the Greek economy.
Greek government sources said after the meeting: “In their talks, the two sides agreed that management of the refugee issue demands a comprehensive and coordinated coopera-tion between the EU’s member-states, as well that it is imperative to avoid unilateral actions.”
Tsipras and Juncker noted the crucial role of cooperation between the EU and Turkey for an “effective and huma-nistic” management of the refugee flows, and also discus-sed the need to increase next year the funds Greece recei-ves from the European Union for the rescue, accommo-dation and registration of refugees, the same sources said.
Commission sees ‘significant progress’
in setting up of Greek hotspots-spokesman
Greece has made significant progress in constructing and operating identification and registration centers on se-lected Greek islands, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said on Wednesday during a press briefing. Schinas said Commission officials, along with the deputy director-general in the European Commission’s economic and financial affairs department, Maarten Ver-wey and Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos visi-ted all the hotspots being built in the islands.
