“Actions that do not serve European solidarity” the Minister of the Interior Nikos Nouris called the developments during the first day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, referring on the one hand to the failure to reach an agreement on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen, and on the other hand, in the non-advancement of the regulation on the instrumentalization of immigration in the European Parliament.
“Today was not the best day for European solidarity”, he said after the end of the first day of his Council Mr. Nouris.
“The decision not to join Romania and Bulgaria in the Schengen zone, but much more the reluctance of a number of member states to promote the regulation on the instrumentalization of immigration to the European Parliament, are actions that do not serve European solidarity,” he noted.
“Particularly for the issue of the instrumenting regulation, which is for Cyprus an extremely important regulation, this again leaves Turkey vulnerable and is something that particularly worries us”, explained Mr. Nouris.
“I want to hope that the continuation of the negotiations that have been decided and which will obviously take place during the Swedish Presidency, will give the opportunity for a number of member states to change their position and to promote this specific regulation”, he noted.
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Mr. Nouris finally thanked the Czech Presidency “for its strong support for what Cyprus supported”, as he said.
It should be recalled that in the discussions concerning the Schengen zone Cyprus was represented by the Minister of Justice Stefi Drakou, who will also represent Cyprus on the second day of the Council of Justice and Home Affairs with the composition of Ministers of Justice on Friday.
