European Union foreign ministers are meeting to work out a response to the migrant crisis at Greece’s border with Turkey. Germany’s Heiko Maas said a number of EU nations were prepared to accept some refugees.
Ministers from across the EU met in Zagreb on Friday for a second day of talks on the conflict in Syria’s Idlib province, as well as the build-up of refugees and migrants at Greece’s border with Turkey.
Member states were set to discuss their response to a ceasefire deal involving Ankara and Mosco, and what contribution the EU should make to easing the crisis.
Before going into the meeting, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the agreement meant the bloc could focus on delivering aid and help on the ground.
“The ceasefire is good news. Let’s see how it works, but it is a precondition to increase humanitarian help for the people in Idlib,” Borrell said.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said he opposed more aid for Turkey now, due to the cynical way Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was using refugees.
“We should not react to the pressure that Turkey is exerting on us by agreeing to more money under pressure,” he said.
