Borrell (EU): "We need an agreement on migrants, we cannot afford another Belarus"

• Migrants, Draghi: "We need greater involvement of all European countries"

• Belarus, Merkel-Lukashenko phone call.

  Draghi: migrants used as a foreign policy tool

Share

04 December 2021 The migration issue "is a big issue and must be regulated, we cannot give the perception that no one controls it", and when "internal borders are erased, external ones become common borders" and it is "a common responsibility to protect and manage them ": So Josep Borrell, High Representative for European Foreign Policy, speaking at the" Rome Med Dialogues ". EU member countries must "agree on a common policy on asylum and migration", adding that "we cannot afford another

". Borrell said that "we must agree in the EU on how to treat migrants and asylum seekers, they are two different categories, we must not be hypocrites, so we have to treat them differently and this requires a procedure. "

“We need migrants in Europe.

We refuse this idea, but we are in a 'demographic winter' and we do need people to come in. "

Watch the address by Josep Borrell @JosepBorrellF, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, EU, at # MED2021.

Live here ➡️ https://t.co/HuUr71333d pic.twitter.com/Zrhch1GgmG

- ISPI (@ispionline) December 4, 2021

But Borrell's speech touched on many of the "hot" issues that animate the politics of the Mediterranean area and not only from Syria, Libya, Lebanon but also Iran and China

 "It is not in our plans to recognize the Assad regime as it is to recognize the Taliban government," said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy. "The Arab League is considering re-accepting Syria. From our point of view. I do not see the reason to change position but this does not prevent us from providing humanitarian aid with the 200 trucks that every day bring aid from Turkey to Syria and also to Afghanistan "recalling the commitment in the northwestern province of Idlib, the main area left partially in the hands of the anti-government forces. "

has disappeared from the front pages of the newspapers, but it has not disappeared from reality, with the million people who live there. We continue to provide aid".

And the topic of Iran and the negotiations underway in Vienna to save the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program could not be missing. The negotiators will return to the Austrian capital on Monday or Tuesday, confirmed the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union. "Now they are back in their capitals for the weekend, but the commitment is to return to Vienna on Monday or Tuesday", he explained, anticipating among other things that the EU "is working on a strategy - now absent - for the Gulf, a region that is becoming increasingly strategic for us ". The agreement that we are trying to save these days "is not only on nuclear power, but it is also economic and commercial," un do ut des ".

he unilaterally withdrew while Iran was complying with the agreement, also reintroducing sanctions against Tehran. If we want to go back to the agreement, this step must be accompanied by the lifting of sanctions and a return to the original agreement. The problem is what comes first. But we cannot expect Iran to return to its nuclear commitments if the other party does not do the same, "Borrell stressed.

The European Union "has provided Lebanon with 11 billion euros of funds in 10 years, half to support the reception of Syrian refugees, it is an important figure", but now the government "must act" and "bring solutions for the Lebanese people ", if it does," we will continue to support Lebanon ". "The first priority is that the government works with the International Monetary Fund, it is a prerequisite for activating macro-financial assistance for the EU - said Josep Borrell speaking to the" Med Dialogues of Rome "- then it must speed up the investigations on explosion at the port of Beirut, carry out reforms, in particular in the electrification sector, and support the people in difficulty ", so" they will be able to count on the EU.Responding to a question about a possible Union intervention in the event of an executive failure, Borrell said: "We will not replace the legitimate government of Lebanon, we are not a colonial power"

"I believe that there has already been too much external intervention in Libya. Libya needs these external actors to leave and this is part of the solution. Then there are the elections which are not a magic bullet but bring legitimacy," he said. High Representative of the EU for foreign policy, adding that it will be "difficult to organize the vote in a country with great divisions, but if there were not there would be a huge question mark we cannot put it off forever".

"We offer a sustainable Silk Road for people to work with us, for many countries China's is not."

So Josep Borrell touching on another hot topic of international politics.

speaking of the relations between the EU and Africa.

After having stated that the EU "provides resources and partnerships destined for the continent", Borrell focused on digital infrastructures and their importance, reiterating his intention to build connectivity in the world at the service of interactivity "We want to offer all partners a good deal "he concluded.