Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicholas Ioannides, visits Rovinj, Croatia, to participate in a Meeting of Interior Ministers of the nine Mediterranean Member States of the European Union (EU) – MED9, which is taking place on 18 and 19 May, under the Croatian Presidency of MED9.
According to a press release issued by the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection, the meeting will be attended by representatives of the nine Mediterranean EU member states that comprise the MED9, namely Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain, while EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, and Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, will also participate.
On the first day of the meeting, discussions will focus on addressing irregular migration, protecting the EU’s external borders, implementing the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, strengthening cooperation with countries of origin and transit, and improving the effectiveness of returns.
It is stressed that the Republic of Cyprus’s participation in the meeting is of particular significance, as Cyprus, as a frontline member state, emphasises the need for practical European solidarity, effective protection of external borders, and common European responses to the migratory pressures affecting the Mediterranean.
As noted, on the sidelines of the meeting, the Deputy Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Croatia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Davor Božinović, who is hosting the MED9 meeting.
Through its active participation in the MED9 meetings, the Republic of Cyprus contributes to shaping the migration policy of this group of states, as is also the case with the MED5, while at the same time, Cyprus, as the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, promotes policies aimed at more effective management of migration at the European level, the press release concluded.
(Source: CNA)
