The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership.
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EUROPEAN COUNCIL: “In response to the migration crisis facing the EU, the objective must be to rapidly stem the flows, protect our external borders, reduce illegal migration and safeguard the integrity of the Schengen area.”
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According to Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, there is no simple way of resolving the current European refugee crisis. ‘One thing is clear: we need a joint European solution, and countries need to refrain as much as possible from taking unilateral measures…’
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Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, in statements after a meeting yesterday with his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni said: “Today, Europe needs more Europe… more unification”. Gentiloni stressed: “what we want to see from the European Union on the refugee issue in the coming weeks and months [is] a strong commitment…”
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Tusk: EU Summit will be a crucial moment for the unity of our Union and for the future of the United Kingdom’s relations within Europe.
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According to a survey by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, European citizens want a fair distribution and above all demand a common response to this new challenge.
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Xydakis: “The refugee and migration flows on the Mediterranean corridors, as well as the wider geopolitical turmoil, have led us inevitably to think in different terms. We need to realise that the larger part of Europe’s borders are maritime borders.”
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Kotzias: “The Syrian issue has to do with the situation of the member states of the European Union, with the future of the European Union itself and of its unity in facing major geopolitical problems, like the refugee crisis.”
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In view of the recent displacement in Aleppo province and the extreme vulnerabilities, UNHCR is encouraging authorities to ensure a broader access to Turkish territory for all those in need of international protection in line with the long-standing Turkish open-border policy.
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KOTZIAS: “I think that Greek-Turkish relations are relations that have a number of problems that must be solved, and the solution will be based on international law as well as on trust between the two peoples and the corresponding competent services… We are carrying out open, honest discussions, and I think that the state of trust is better than it was a year ago.”
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