EU to discuss immigration crisis and Russia

20.10.2016
Belgium

EU leaders will meet on October 20th and 21st in Brussels to discuss issues related to the migration crisis and TTIP and CETA treaties. In addition, today they are expected to discuss relations with Russia.

migration crisis

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, after returning from Washington, announced that today's meeting will be dedicated to the immigration crisis, especially in light of the fact that some of the member countries (such as Greece) have received financial aid from the EU but have not fulfilled their commitments. Let us recall that according to the latest research, Greece has lost to Italy the first place in terms of number of migrants.

Earlier, Chancellor of Austria Christian Kern wanted to put this question on the agenda.

Relations with Russia

In addition, the European bloc’s strategy for relations with Russia will be discussed today. Renzi added that this will inevitably concern the question of the Syrian conflict, which was discussed last night after a meeting of the “Normandy Format” including Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, and Francois Hollande.

Having come out of a meeting with Obama, Renzi will probably push the pro-American line, but reality shows that Europe prefers to establish closer ties with Moscow, despite some EU politicians’ hostile statements.

It is significant that during the evening meeting in Berlin, Vladislav Surkov sat next to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier despite the fact that Surkov was included in the so-called EU sanctions lists prohibiting him from entering Europe.

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