The foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries emphasized at the Bled Strategic Forum on Thursday (September 2) that after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the refugee crisis of 2015-2016 must not be repeated and called for more cooperation in the region.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Anže Logar, stated that the Mediterranean countries are concerned about the situation, but the response to developments so far shows that the situation will be different from the 2015-2016 crisis.
The meeting was held immediately, and he said: “We have been talking about it… The Minister of the Interior clearly expressed Europe’s views on how to resolve this immigration crisis. The decision was passed unanimously. We have a very bold text on this issue.”
However, he believes that the Mediterranean region will still face strong pressure.
“We already have 40,000 Afghan immigrants in our camp. We won’t take it anymore because the burden is too heavy. We have learned our lessons and we have all prepared new strategies to solve this problem.”
Greek Foreign Minister Nikolaos-Georgios Dendias pointed out the difference between Afghanistan and the 2016 incident, which he said has caused trauma to Greece and Europe as a whole.
“It’s not just a wave of immigration [in 2016] But the instrumentalization of migration flows to achieve political goals. This is why I think Europe is not facing the same problem now,” he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta, Evarist Bartolo (Evarist Bartolo) said that even without Afghanistan, he is worried. “I hope we have learned not to make the same mistakes again. I think this could happen in Libya and the Sahel. Without stability in the Mediterranean and without stability in Africa, there can be no stability in Europe,” he warned, and Point out that the United States, Europe, and Africa are diverging politically.
He also warned that an impression is being created in Europe that the most important geostrategic event of the 21st century is not happening in the Mediterranean or Africa, but in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I’m not saying that the Indo-Pacific region is not important. But this obsession to think that the 21st century is the Asian century is not entirely correct. This is the Asian century and the African century. Unless we keep this in mind, we will Faced with huge problems.”
He said that the case of Afghanistan shows that it is impossible to build a country from the outside. “No matter how well-intentioned you are, you cannot impose a society from the outside. It is not wise to build a house from the roof down, and this is what has already happened. The same thing can happen in Libya,” he said.
Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva pointed out that after the Taliban took over, the EU, as a partner within the NATO framework, has three responsibilities.
“The first one is completely satisfied-it is to expel our own citizens, the second is to protect the exit of those who work with us, and the third is to provide for those who are particularly vulnerable-activists, female judges or female judges Humanitarian assistance. Prosecutors and other groups in need of international assistance.”
He is very optimistic that the EU will assume the task of handling the flow of immigrants. “I think this will be done on a voluntary basis in the end. I don’t believe that the 27 member states will unite in this effort. But I believe we have learned the lesson from 2015 and we will not leave Malta, Cyprus, Greece , Italy or Spain.”
Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christolides emphasized that the root causes of immigration from Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan should be addressed, including climate change and the political situation.
Christodoulides pointed out the cooperation within the region, where major countries in the region jointly respond to challenges and take advantage of opportunities. He said that the long-term vision is to establish a security and cooperation regional organization in the eastern Mediterranean if the political situation permits.
Logar agreed with this, saying that the voices of the nine Mediterranean countries in the European Union would be considerable.
Bartolo said that it is time to hold a Helsinki spirit (OSCE process) meeting on Mediterranean security and cooperation, although admitting that it will be very difficult. But he believes that this may be completed within two years to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Conference.
“We need to do this because our cross-strait cooperation is not enough. We are meeting here, but there is no one on the other side. Now Algeria is holding a diplomatic conference and there is no one on this side.”
He believes that a forum should be created to meet more needs, and pointed out the challenges in demographic structure, population aging, climate change, energy reform efforts, etc. He said that if you do not plan carefully, it may lead to problems in countries that rely on oil business. Stablize.
[Edited by Georgi Gotev]
