(ANA)

 

Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis has written to Turkey’s Interior Minister Besir Atalay and formally requested a meeting some time in February to discuss ways of stemming the tide of illegal migrants crossing the Turkish border into Greece. 

 

“Only systematic and close cooperation between Greece and Turkey can reduce the flow of illegal migration towards the European Union,” Chrisochoidis stressed in the letter sent on January 27, adding that he anticipated a positive response from the Turkish side. The Greek minister also highlighted the ever-worsening problems caused by both illegal migration and organised crime in both countries. 

 

“The challenges that we face are complex and shared, since the problem has taken on massive dimensions over the past decade, with growth of the flow each year from both the land and sea borders of our countries,” he stressed.