Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs of Greece Nikos Xydakis visits Finland to discuss migration

This is an English translation of a press release originally issued in Finnish on 24 February 2016.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and Minister of the Interior Petteri Orpo will meet Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs of Greece Nikos Xydakis on Friday 26 February. In their bilateral discussions, Ministers Soini and Xydakis will focus, among other things, on the migration crisis in Europe, including the national measures taken by Greece, and the talks on the reunification of Cyprus.

Minister Orpo and his Greek colleague will discuss, among other things, the hotspot registration centres in Greece, the functioning of the Schengen system, and asylum seekers' relocation to other EU Member States. The relocations from Greece and Italy, agreed upon last May, have materialised slowly, because only some EU countries have received asylum seekers as agreed.

Inquiries:

Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Riikka Taivassalo, Special Adviser to the Foreign Minister, tel. +358 295 351 960 and Olli Nurmi, Desk Officer, Unit for South-Eastern Europe, tel. +358 295 351 874.

Ministry of the Interior: Jenna Kuitunen, Coordinator, tel. +358 295 488 276.