Meeting of the Minister of Μigration and Asylum Mr. Notis Mitarachi with the Minister of Interior of Slovakia Mr. Roman Mikulec
The Minister of Migration and Asylum, Mr. Notis Mitarachi, met today with the Minister of Interior of Slovakia, Mr. Roman Mikulec.
After their last bilateral meeting in Bratislava in June, the two Ministers had extensive talks regarding the common positions of Greece and Slovakia on European asylum and migration policy. ‘’We both emphasize the need to effectively safeguard the EU external borders in a way that will prevent mass irregular flows and will reinforce security in the common Schengen area’’, Mr Mitarachi pointed out.
The Minister of Migration and Asylum underlined that ‘’Greece and Slovakia also agreed on the need to boost our cooperation with third countries -what we call the external dimension of migration, enhance returns through a centralized European mechanism and reinforce the role of FRONTEX in both border control and returns.’’
Moreover, Mr. Mitarachi stated that "it is imperative to work for reducing pressure and preventing further crises at our common external borders, by turning EU better prepared and more resilient".
The Minister of Migration and Asylum pointed out that:
‘’Greece and Slovakia, as members of the Med-5 and V4 groups respectively, may not have always identical views, as far as the Pact on Migration and Asylum is concerned, but we are committed to work closely for finding landing zones for joint and sustainable solutions on a number of issues.’’
The two countries, added Mr. Mitarachi, ‘’have co-signed a recent letter initiated by Lithuania on the border management, and we are glad that our positions have been taken in due consideration by the EU Leaders’ Council of last week, as reflected at its Conclusions.’’, concluded Mr. Mitarachi.
Following the meeting Mr. Mikulec made the following statement:
‘’The Slovak Republic appreciates the up to date effort and endeavour of Greece to handle migration related issues in the best possible manner and thus protect the external EU border. Migration isa a difficult challenge for all of us and requires a comprehensive approach. Our main goal must be the protection of our citizens and preservation of one of the most important benefits of our partnership in the EU which is free movement of citizens in the Schengen area. The Slovak Republic is active in the area of solidarity and promptly reacts to the necessities of its partners in the EU. The proof is quite considerable aid to Greece.’’
