Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the need for funding to secure resources for migration arriving at the ongoing EU Summit in Brussels, on Thursday.
Mitsotakis, along with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, highlighted the importance of addressing the financial aspects of migration.
Greece, as a peripheral member-state, has been at the front line of the migration crisis, bearing the brunt of flows of migrants crossing into the EU bloc.
“The summit is called upon to make crucial decisions about the future of our European family. The first issue on our agenda will be the issue of European enlargement,” stated Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The PM added that Greece supported the European Commission’s proposals regarding enlargement, particularly emphasizing the need to commence accession negotiations with Ukraine. He went on to express hope that unanimous agreement within the European Council would send a clear message that Ukraine’s future is within the European family.
He continued, “Simultaneously, we will discuss the revision of the multiannual financial framework so that we can secure additional resources for critical EU policy priorities.”
The Greek Prime Minister particularly stressed the necessity of increasing funds for managing the migration problem. He noted that decisions made three years ago did not anticipate the surge in migration pressures and the need to allocate more resources to protecting the EU’s external borders.
Mitsotakis highlighted the need to expand resources for the security of the EU’s external borders while being cautiously optimistic that steps would be taken in this direction.
Furthermore, Mitsotakis highlighted the importance of adding further resources to address the impacts of the climate crisis. “Greece has consistently advocated for convincing all European countries of the need for more funds to address the consequences of the climate crisis.”
Throughout the 2-day summit (Dec.14-15), EU leaders are discussing, among other things, continued support for Ukraine, the unfolding situation in the Middle East, enlargement, the mid-term review of the EU’s long-term budget for 2021-2027, and security and defense.
