Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Thursday with the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner at the Maximos Mansion.
“We are satisfied with the progress that has been made at the European level in terms of shaping a new balance in our overall European migration policy, in the direction of protecting the external borders, with a particular emphasis on returns, but also focusing on legal migration routes,” stressed the prime minister.
At the beginning of their meeting they had the following dialogue:
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Welcome Commissioner. I understand that this is your first trip abroad, apart from a visit you made to Poland for obvious reasons. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you. We have a lot to discuss. As you know, Greece is a country that has found itself at the forefront of the immigration crisis for many years. We are happy with the progress that has been made at a European level in terms of a rebalancing of overall European migration policy toward a protection of the external borders, with a significant emphasis on returns, but also by placing a lot of focus on legal pathways to migration. So there is a lot to discuss and I would like to congratulate you once again on your appointment and election. I am sure that we will have a very fruitful cooperation.
Magnus Brunner: Thank you for your welcome and time. As you said, yes, this is my first official visit abroad, except for Poland, and this is because Greece, of course, plays such an important role and is such a good partner in the European Union, altogether, not only in the topics we are discussing, security and migration, but in all other aspects as well. There has been much improvement also on the different topics. So, thank you again for having me, thank you for all the things you do, for all your efforts. As you mentioned, we have things to do, we have things ahead of us. Implementing the Pact is one of them but the topic of returns also is something that we have to deliver, definitely. And we will deliver, hopefully. I am still optimistic, even though I have just started… in my new portfolio. [We] have a lot to do, a lot to deliver and I am very happy that the cooperation between Greece and the European Union is of such an intensity, which is good because, as I said, Greece plays an important role, has played and will play, and I very much look forward to working with you.”
