Austria backs Greek effort to stem migration from Turkey, Dendias says all EU states must help

The Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg in a clear show of support for Greece's efforts to stem a large wave of migration into the EU has announced that Austria will offer one million euros to the UNHCR representation in Greece and is prepared to offer more staff to stem the flows either bilaterally or through Frontex, which is about to develop am emergency rapid action force in Greece.

The Austrian pledge came at a joint press conference in Athens after talks between Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Schallenberg and the issue will be further discussed at a 6 March foreign ministers' meeting in Zagreb, as Croatia holds the EU's rotating co-presidency. The meeting will focus on developments in Idlib, Syria, which have dramatic repercussions on flows of refugees to Europe.

For his part Dendias underlined that EU declarations of solidarity can no longer remain a dead letter and that every single member-state must shoulder its share of the burden in dealing with the emerging refugee-migrant crisis.

Dendias decries Turkey's exploitation of misery to exact concessions

"Right now, Greece is defending the borders of Europe. Obviously, not from the thousands of unfortunate people who have fallen victim to organized and absolutely condemnable manipulation, but from an unprecedented, cynical decision of the Turkish leadership to use these people as a human battering ram to exert diplomatic pressure on Europe with the use of minors on the frontline," Dendias said.

Turkey reneges on 2016 joint statement with EU on migrants

"Despite the continuous assurances of my Turkish counterpart that Turkey is honouring its commitments deriving from the Joint...