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Konstantinos Ioannou contacts in Copenhagen and Prague
Meetings with the Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Mr. Kaare Dybvad Bek and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the Czech Republic Mr. Vít Rakušan had yesterday and today, respectively, the Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Ioannou. The Cypriot Minister is currently visiting member states of the European Union to promote the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus and coordinate the reassessment of the status of certain areas in Syria.
During the meetings, the Interior Minister analysed the current situation in Cyprus with regard to the migration issue, saying that, despite the arrivals of the last few days, our country continues to record a positive sign in the percentage of returns as a percentage of arrivals. Mr. Dybvad and Mr. Rakušan acknowledged the need to immediately find a procedure for the return of Syrian nationals, recognizing that solidarity is required from all EU states, especially towards the Eastern Mediterranean states, such as Cyprus, which are under suffocating pressure.
In addition, Mr. Ioannou presented at length the Cyprus initiative for the reassessment of the status of certain areas in Syria, as well as the need to define criteria on the basis of which Syrian asylum applications will be examined in substance and those who meet certain criteria will be given the possibility to be rejected. On the part of the Danish and Czech Ministers responsible for migration issues, agreement was expressed on the Cypriot Government's proposal to examine, at EU level, the actual facts on Syrian territory, in order to allow states to carry out returns under strict conditions.
In this context, during the meeting with the Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, it was agreed to organise a joint Cyprus-Czech Republic mission to Syria, in order to secure data (fact finding mission) for the designation of areas in the country as safe.
In addition, Mr Ioannou conveyed to the two Ministers the recommendation to promote the creation of a group with the participation of European Member States on the external dimension of migration, with emphasis on the issue of Syria. The aim is to prepare an official joint document to the European Commission in order to move the discussion forward as soon as possible. Both the Danish and the Czech Minister agreed with the proposal of the Cypriot Interior Minister.
Mr Ioannou's contacts on the migration issue will conclude tomorrow in Athens, where he will meet with the Greek Minister of Immigration and Asylum Mr. Dimitrios Kairidis.
(MKE)
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