The European Council meeting scheduled for April 17-18 is set to address the issue of rising migration flows of Syrians to Cyprus, along with the request from a number of EU member states for a reassessment of the situation in Syria. This was agreed upon on Sunday, following discussions between the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. They also agreed to conduct a joint visit to Lebanon as part of migration management efforts.
According to a written statement by Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Nikos Christodoulides and Ursula von der Leyen had a telephone conversation on Sunday afternoon, during which they discussed the latest developments in the region, including the escalation of the crisis and the broader negative impacts, especially regarding migration.
As noted in Letymbiotis’ statement, during the phone call, it was agreed that “the constantly increasing migration flows of Syrians to Cyprus, which led t
o the decision of the Republic of Cyprus, based on applicable EU legislation, to suspend the examination of asylum applications for all cases of Syrian nationals, will be discussed at the upcoming European Council on April 17 and 18, specifically addressing the request from a number of member states for a reassessment of the situation in Syria.”
President Christodoulides and President von der Leyen also discussed the possibility of providing an enhanced package of economic support to Lebanon, to address both the economic difficulties facing the country and to manage migration.
Within this framework, they discussed and agreed on a joint visit to Lebanon, following a preparatory visit by the competent Commissioner in the coming days.
Source: Cyprus News Agency