Tsipras calls for more support for countries hosting refugees
During a trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Jordan in Nicosia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras appealed to the international community to support countries that host large numbers of refugees as they are the ones that have the greatest humanitarian needs.
Tsipras told reporters that Greece and Cyprus are on the front lines of Europe, while Jordan currently hosts 1.5 million refugees.
More than 50,000 refugees and migrants are stranded in Greece after land routes into Europe were closed in 2015.
“We underlined the huge challenges our countries face on the refugee crisis and naturally the need for the international community to actively and effectively support countries which host large numbers of refugees,” Tsipras said during the summit, which was held to promote trilateral cooperation and to enhance regional stability.
The same sentiments were expressed by King Abdullah II of Jordan, who said that his country is “shouldering an immense refugee burden and cannot be left alone as we undertake this humanitarian responsibility on behalf of the world.”
The three countries also agreed to expand their trilateral cooperation in water management, tourism projects, the shipping sector and the prevention of cultural property theft.
Meanwhile, talk in Athens about an imminent reshuffle after the resignation of Deputy Education Minister Costas Zouraris on Monday, has been put on hold as Tsipras reportedly wants to first conclude Greece’s third bailout review at the Eurogroup on January 22.
The coalition government received an unlikely boost in Parliament on Monday when independent lawmaker Theodora Megaloeconomou joined the ranks of ruling SYRIZA.
