Tsipras to invite Erdogan and Merkel to discuss refugee crisis

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias yesterday revealed Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s intention to invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to a meeting on the island of Chios to discuss the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe.

Kotzias’s announcement came in response to a question from a journalist during a television programme. He noted that the date of the meeting has not yet been determined, and that its objective is to discuss with Turkey the details of the crisis and possible bilateral cooperation toward reaching a solution.

The Greek minister said that his government did not receive adequate support from European Union countries following the influx of people on its borders, which prompted it to take the initiative regarding dealing with such refugees.

Kotzias noted that his country is paying the price for decisions made by other countries, and that the European Union has not lived up to its promises.

“We did not get into war with Syria and Iraq, and we do not intend to; we are trying to clarify this matter to our partners. We have to reach an agreement with Turkey concerning the refugee crisis,” Kotzias said.

He also said that Greece’s “partners” were going to divide the 150,000 refugees in Greece amongst themselves; but Luxembourg has agreed to only accept a maximum of 30 refugees.