Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, was in Ankara on Friday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, to dicuss the refugee crisis, the conflict in Syria and the situation of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Minister Asselborn also used the opportunity to engage in talks with the Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, as well as representatives of the Prime Ministry Disaster & Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in order to gain information on the situation on the ground.
"In Turkey, as in Europe, the challenge of migration is huge," commented Minister Asselborn, who over the weekend defended the open border policy of the Schengen Agreements against Front National Vice-President Florian Philippot. "It is our responsibility to act together against the challenge posed by migratory movements in and around the Mediterranean Basin".
Talks with the Turkish authorities allowed for an in-depth look into the various options available to strengthen cooperation between the EU and Turkey. The Luxembourg Minister praised the substantial efforts made by Turkey, which hosts nearly 2.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled the atrocities of the conflict.
The Minister continued by referencing the difficulties faced by Turkey and pledging that "the EU will reinforce its political and financial support of Turkey's efforts, as well as the other neighbouring countries of Syria".
As well as help take stock of the efforts made by the Luxembourg Presidency to develop a responsible and united European response, the discussions also enabled an overview of the current regional policy and to tackle the state of the situation on the ground in Syria, dealing with efforts to end the conflict and restart negotiations with a view to achieving a political solution.
The Luxembourg Foreign Minister also referred to the Grand Duchy's support of Turkey's attempts to becoome an EU Member State and encouraged the country's pursuit of an implementation of reforms which would enable it to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria comprised of political, economic and administrative and institutional factors determining successful accession.
The Ministers lastly spoke of the good bilateral relationship between Turkey and the Grand Duchy, as evidence by the resumption of official duties of the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Luxembourg.
Photo by Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (L-R: Jean Asselborn; Ahmet Davutoglu)
