The Diplomat in Spain

Merkel, Sanchez and their respective spouses, in the Coto de Doñana,

The Diplomat. 12/08/2018

Spain and Germany agree European Union must increase its cooperation with African countries and, in particular, its support to Morocco and Tunisia to face the migration crisis.

This was highlighted by the Chief Executive, Pedro Sánchez, and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, after having lunch at the Palace of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz).

Merkel, who will spend the rest of the weekend with Sanchez and their respective spouses, in the Coto de Doñana, agreed with the Prime Minister during a press conference in which cooperation with the countries of Africa should complement the existence of a better control of borders and an adequate humanitarian reception system.

«If we want to talk about how to order migratory flows, we have to do it from shared positions and from a much more transversal point of view,» said Sanchez, while Merkel said that «not only must we talk about Africa, but we must also talk to Africa. »

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Spain and Germany will ask the Commission for a greater allocation of the Trust Fund for Africa

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The chancellor called for «intensifying cooperation with Morocco and Tunisia because they are countries that need help and are border.» For his part, Sanchez, after recalling that «Morocco is one of the main partners of the EU and is also suffering from the migratory pressure «He said that that country should play a key role in ordering the migration flows.» However, neither of the two leaders specified what money will be dedicated or how it will be done.

Subsequently, a note from the State Secretariat for Communication stated that Sanchez and Merkel agreed to transfer to the European Commission the need for greater financial involvement in the Trust Fund for Africa, from which the funds destined specifically for Morocco for border management come from. .

Sánchez and Merkel also indicated that it is necessary to find a «fair distribution system» for immigrants who arrive in the European Union and have the right to stay. They noted that it is a «common challenge for all» countries for the free movement of persons and the German chancellor added that «it can not depend on the geographical location of a certain country.»