President calls for migration agreement at EU Summit

There should have been an agreement on migration during the European Council, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said in his remarks after the second day of the summit on Friday and noted that during his intervention he stressed the need to announce an Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean as soon as possible.

Referring to the debate on migration, he expressed his "dissatisfaction that it was not possible to agree on conclusions on migration."

"This does not in any way negate the agreement reached in Luxembourg between the Ministers of Interior and Justice," he noted. He added in particular that the reference in the draft to the external dimension of migration affects frontline states, such as Cyprus, and "it was, I think, something where there should have been agreement", which was not reached due to the approach of two member states.

Asked to comment on the debate regarding the development of an Action Plan on the Eastern Mediterranean by the Commission undertook to draw up, he said that during his intervention he stressed the need for the plan to be announced as soon as possible. He added that he addressed the President of the Commission and said that Cyprus expects concrete proposals that will bring solutions.

The action plan, he added, "also touches on the issue of Turkey's compliance within the framework and obligations arising from the declaration agreed in 2016."

Responding to a question on the position of Poland and Hungary, the President said that "we are not here to isolate any member state" and that his main message was that "we need to work together". He added that the objection of the two counties was not about the outcome of what was agreed in Luxembourg, but with the procedure that was followed.