Greek PM, Dutch FM call for closer cross-borders cooperation to tackle refugee crisis

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders called for closer cross-borders cooperation to tackle the refugee crisis during talks here on Sunday.

"A joint response is needed to address the causes of the crisis, which is the war in Syria," the Greek leader said, according to a press release.

In addition, he called for stronger collaboration within Europe and with neighboring countries to set up an effective legal path to ensure that refugees will be reaching safety across European countries directly from Turkey, and no more lives will be perished in the Aegean Sea.

Netherlands, which holds the rotating Presidency of the EU Council during the first half of 2016, will seek to enhance cooperation in this direction and help create bridges to avoid the erection of more fences, the Dutch official said.

"We need to have effective border controls than close borders," Koenders stressed.

During a visit to Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(FYROM) over the weekend, the Dutch official underlined the same message, warning against any unilateral moves.

FYROM has started beefing up the borders with Greece lately, while other European countries are blaming Athens for insufficient protection of Greek borders and other deficiencies in the management of refugee flows.

EU partners gave a formal warning to Greece on Friday that the country may be expelled from the Schengen passport free travel zone unless these shortages are remedied by mid-May.

On its part, Athens strongly criticizes other EU members of failing to meet their commitments and provide sufficient financial and technical aid to debt-laden Greece to establish reception centers on the Greek islands and help refugees reach their destinations in a fast and safe manner. Enditem