Pusić: EUNAVFOR Med the first step towards solving Mediterranean crisis

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić attended 22 June in Luxembourg a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić attended 22 June in Luxembourg a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council.

The EU foreign ministers agreed to launch the EUNAVFOR Med naval operation aimed at disrupting human smugglers and traffickers, transporting immigrants from Libya to Europe. The mission is currently limited to intelligence gathering only. “This is the first step towards creating a comprehensive EU policy for the migration crisis in the Mediterranean,” Pusić said, adding that the EU should take cues from Spain, which by running a series of policies in 2008 put a stop on illegal migration completely.   

The meeting also discussed the situation in Macedonia. “Macedonia has been an EU membership candidate for years and some colleagues have forgotten this fact. The advantage is that despite all the weird and dramatic events in Macedonia recently, this hasn't turned into an ethnic conflict, at least for now. It's a problem the EU can solve on its own, which is why all member states, notably those from the region, and Croatia certainly among them, should work together with Macedonia,” Pusić said.

Asked to comment on Serbian Labour Minister Aleksandar Vulin’s statement in Jadovno, Pusić said: “That's not a bilateral issue but a question of manners. That member of the Serbian government has had some very unusual escapades, and this one is below any level of civility. Croatia doesn't need to and won't react every time someone says something, but it would certainly be good for Serbia not to allow that sort of image to be spread about it because such conduct is very inappropriate for any decent country.”

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