Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Dimitris Kairidis called for greater protection of EU borders and increased solidarity and support for Egypt at the EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on Monday.
In his interventions at the Council, Kairidis focused on external border issues, especially as Greece’s borders also serve as EU borders, and asked for support by the border agency Frontex. He also described the risks posed by the situation in the Middle East and called for increased European aid to Egypt in view of the signing of an agreement between the EU and Egypt.
At doorstep statements, Kairidis stressed that the Council is taking place at a very critical moment, as developments in the Middle East and Ukraine are not good. Greece, as he said, seeks the maximum possible cooperation and solidarity of its European partners in matters dealing with both the Eastern Mediterranean Route of migration flows from Turkiye and the Central Mediterranean Route, in view of the European Union-Egypt Agreement.