3 yıl önce

Merkel, Lukashenko agree to talks with EU on migrant crisis

German Chancellor Merkel spoke again with Belarus President Lukashenko, stressing the need to let the UN and the European Commission provide aid to migrants stranded at the Belarus-Poland border.

AP

Migrants have been trying to cross from Belarus into EU member Poland for months.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed in a telephone call that Minsk and Brussels should discuss the migrant crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border.

Citing Lukashenko's press service, Belarus state news agency Belta said on Wednesday the Belarus leader and Merkel "agreed that the problem as a whole will be brought up to the level of Belarus and the EU".

"Relevant officials to be determined from both sides will immediately start negotiations to resolve the existing problems," Belta said.

Those discussions will also consider the wishes of the migrants to get to Germany, the news agency added, saying that Lukashenko and Merkel agreed on maintaining contacts.

"Chancellor Merkel spoke again with Mr Lukashenko," her spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

"She stressed the need, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organisation for Migration and the cooperation of the European Commission, to provide humanitarian aid and repatriation facilities to the affected people."

The call was the second between the Belarusian and German leaders this week, after Russian President Vladimir Putin had called on EU leaders to talk directly to Lukashenko.

Standoff at border

Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, are camped on the border in what the West says is revenge for sanctions slapped on Lukashenko's regime after its brutal suppression of protests against his rule.

Lukashenko and his main ally Putin have rejected the accusations and criticised the EU for not taking in the migrants.

The migrants say they want to get to Germany via Poland and Lukashenko has said that he is ready to send them there by plane if necessary.

Migrants have been trying to cross from Belarus into EU member Poland for months, but tensions soared last week as coordinated efforts to cross were turned back by Polish border guards.

The EU accuses Lukashenko of luring the migrants to the Polish border, a claim he has denied.

SOURCE: AFP