ZAGREB – High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borell hopes that European countries will not have to send armed forces to the border between Greece and Turkey to stop a possible new wave of refugees.
The situation in Syria and at the Turkish-Greek border was the topic of yesterday’s meeting of the European defense ministers. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also attended the meeting.
Borell assessed that EU aid to Ankara is not enough because the situation is more difficult than the one in 2016 when a financial assistance agreement was reached in exchange for detaining migrants, reports Hina.
“We will continue to help as much as we can. But we keep telling them that pushing people towards the border is not a solution for anyone and puts people at risk”, the High Representative said.
“We want to continue cooperation, but not in such a way that reassures people that they can reach Europe”, he said.
The EU High Representative was in Ankara yesterday, just a few days after Turkey, dissatisfied with co-operation with Europe, announced that it was opening borders for migrants to Europe and tens of thousands of migrants rushed to the border.
The EU previously announced that it would set aside an emergency aid of 170 million euros as humanitarian aid to Syria.