British, Greek PMs discuss migrant crisis, EU-Turkey deal over phone

British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday discussed over phone the implementation of the recent European Union (EU)-Turkey agreement on migrants, the Downing Street said.

Cameron in a phone call welcomed the start the Greek authorities had made to returning migrants to Turkey under the agreement, a Downing Street spokesperson said after the call.

Cameron also reiterated the importance of "breaking the link between people making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean and securing settlement in Europe."

Tsipras said that the flow of migrants had reduced substantially, and expressed gratitude for the British contribution of personnel and expertise to help implement the agreement, according to Downing Street.

Cameron confirmed that additional British personnel would be offered to Greece over the coming weeks as additional support.

The two leaders also touched on the continuing negotiations between Greece, the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the review of Greece's program.

They agreed that "it was in the interests of all parties to bring this to a timely conclusion," said the Downing Street spokesperson. Endit