<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares and his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, agreed this Tuesday in Athens, as Mediterranean countries of primary reception, that migration policy must be "a priority" for the European Union.</strong></h4> "As Mediterranean countries and as both European countries, we have a common challenge: irregular migration and the mafias that traffic in human beings," Albares stated in a statement to the media after his bilateral meeting with Gerapetritis. "We are two countries whose borders are the EU's external borders, both land and sea, which decisively compels us to accelerate the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact and to complement these efforts by strengthening the external dimension of migration," he continued. “Spain has a clear vision of the migration phenomenon based on a humanitarian approach, a humane, orderly, and, of course, legal migration, but always based on human rights,” he stated. “Therefore, at the European level, the development of the Migration and Asylum Pact is a true priority,” he added. For his part, George Gerapetritis recalled that, “with regard to irregular migration, Spain and Greece, as the primary host countries, bear a disproportionate burden.” Therefore, he stated, “we have agreed to redouble our efforts to ensure that the effective management of migration flows remains a priority of the new European migration policy and to work together to promote legal avenues for human mobility.” Tuesday was Albares' second official visit to Greece, which falls within the framework of the regular political consultation mechanism agreed upon by both countries at the end of 2021. During the meeting, both ministers also agreed on the need to strengthen trade and investment relations. “We have discussed several projects that will continue to help increase this investment and trade relationship, which has great potential and a bright future,” especially in sectors such as infrastructure, transportation, water treatment, renewable energy, and tourism, Albares stated. “Despite our excellent cooperation, there is enormous room for improvement in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism,” the Greek minister stated. “We can also achieve greater synergies in the energy sector, where Greece is becoming a hub and contributing significantly to regional and European energy diversification and resilience,” he added.
