The critical summit meeting between the European Union and Turkey on the refugee crisis continues on Friday, with a breakfast meeting between Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Ahmed Davutoglu.
This early morning meeting may greatly determine what is to happen with the refugees who have made their way to Europe, as the aim is to finalize the earlier agreement that was reached on the 7th of March.
Germany’s Angela Merkel has commented that the talks with Turkey will not be easy, but noted that all European leaders are in favor of reaching an agreement. Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades however told journalists that if need be, he will veto an agreement.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stressed that Europe has to two options at present; to either find a collective solution to address the refugee crisis or turn to unilateral actions, which will put the burden on countries of entry into Europe. Any solution, he added, must comply with international law and conventions, as well as the European acquis.
Additionally the Greek PM told journalists that Europe must support Greece in relation to the refugee crisis and specifically referred to resources and trained staff members needed to address the needs.
According to PM Tsipras, the top priorities are to relocate refugees from Greece to other European and establish a reliable mechanism for returns and resettlement of refugees from Turkey.
