Cyprus to support European Commission's plan for migrants' relocation

Cyprus will support plans by the European Union to deal with the influx of tens of thousands of migrants fleeing war zones in the Middle East, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday.

"Cyprus stands ready to contribute in a just sharing of the burdens," said Anastasiades after talks in Nicosia with European Council President Donald Tusk.

Anastasiades welcomed proposals set out by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a speech before the European Parliament on Wednesday.

He signaled that Cyprus will accept quotas set out by Juncker, for the relocation of 120,000 migrants.

European Union Interior Ministers will meet on Sept. 14 to discuss Juncker's proposals.

Under Juncker's quotas for the relocation of migrants from Greece, Italy and Hungary, Cyprus will receive 274 people. But this would be in addition to 173 people proposed under Juncker's earlier plan to relocate 40,000, raising the total to 447 migrants.

Cyprus' Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos had said earlier this week that the island was willing to take no more than 300 migrants because of its small size and the economic crisis which forced it to request a 10-billion-euro bailout in 2013.

But sources said the president's statement signaled a willingness to take some more.

Cyprus already hosts 285 migrants at a facility prepared to house asylum seekers. About 110 of them are newcomers from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, rescued from a drifting fishing boat on Sunday. Endit