Video: https://youtu.be/HNdFySdSzqk
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First of all, I would like to thank and express my gratitude to the Tunisian government for hosting this very important event today. It becomes important because as you saw, around the table all countries of the so called Central Mediterranean Route were present.
The very first conclusion is that we must enhance and deepen further our collective solidarity and responsibility. This phenomenon of migration cannot be addressed and tackled by one country alone. So we have to stick together. It is also an opportunity for Northern African Countries, and European Partners from the other side of the Mediterranean, to start working and cooperating.
The European Commission is supporting all efforts, first of all, in order to save lives. This is our priority. This is the most important aspect of this phenomenon of our times. But on the other hand it is obvious that we have to adopt legal pathways for the ones that want to come to Europe. Europe is not a fortress. It is open. But as you all understand, those who want to cross the Sea and come to Europe must follow legal procedures and pathways.
Comparing the situation as it was two years ago, we are not where we were at that moment. Things have improved. But we are not where we should be. The dimension that was discussed during this meeting was stability in Libya. It is essential to reinstate stability in this country. And I believe that all these initiatives undertaken, including the one by President Macron is of great importance. Let’s hope that it will bring fruitful results.
We support also Libya. As you know, projects have started being implemented, with full support to the Libyan authorities to better organise their Coast-guard, to better manage their borders. In the Southern part of Libya, our cooperation with third countries is of a great importance. The European Union is standing by to all our friends and partners in the region. And I believe that in the end we shall be in a position to better manage the phenomenon of migration.
The other very important issue is how to combat smugglers’ networks most efficiently. Because, yes we can say that we declare a war against all those who exploit all these desperate people. In conclusion, we need to bring back stability in the region, especially in Libya, create legal pathways for the ones who want to come to Europe, efficient fight against smuggles and a better cooperation among us. This cooperation has to be established on spirit of mutual trust. And this is what I fell today during this meeting. I believe that it was a very important event today and I would like once again to express my gratitude to the authorities of Tunisia for having steered and organised this event. In the morning, I had also the honour to meet with his Excellency, the President of the Republic of Tunisia and exchange some views on how to better address this issue, both for Migration and for Security. So this was the framework within which we were together