Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini met the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, today. They both agreed on the need for the Italian government to keep asylum and migration policies high on its agenda.
Minister Mogherini illustrated our country’s efforts to date, with assistance provided to over 30,000 migrants in these first few months of 2014 alone. Guterres thanked the Minister for the role played by Italy and assured her of the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR). The question of migration by sea and the rescue operations so often entailed must be addressed by the European Union and all countries must assume their rightful responsibilities and collaborate on the issue.
The priorities of the Italian Presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2014 were another topic for discussion. They include migration policies which, explained Minister Mogherini, must have a strong European dimension, and the need for stronger European action with respect to its southern borders and the Mediterranean. Mogherini and Guterres discussed the situation in Libya and agreed on the need to apply all possible forms of collaboration to help build a stable institutional framework and help govern migration flows.
For Guterres, the Italian Presidency is an opportunity to encourage dialogue on issues such as rescues at sea, the Syrian refugees and the implementation of Community-level measures on asylum, with the focus on protecting refugees.
Lastly, Minister Mogherini and High Commissioner Guterres exchanged views on Italy’s accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
