The drawing up of an effective strategy and action plan in the EU for the handling of migration and refugee issues, as well as the improvement of the member-states' good practices exchange tools will be the priorities of the Ministry of the Interior for the forthcoming Greek EU Presidency, Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis said in Brussels on December 5. Regarding the migration and refugee issues, efforts will focus to a more effective cooperation between the EU and third countries, mainly the countries of origin.

Concerning legal migration, the Interior Ministry will seek an agreement between the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission on a draft directive concerning the movement of third country entrepreneurs, as well as third country nationals entering the EU for scientific research, studies, student exchange, paid or free training and volunteerism.

Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias presented the priorities of Greece’s rotating EU Presidency in the areas of migration and asylum to the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs Council on Thursday; it will focus on a European approach and holistic management of migration policy, along with actions to mitigate the impact of illegal immigration on the economic, social and political realities of the EU member-states. Specifically, Dendias underlined that the Greek Presidency aims at strengthening policies related to migration within the context of the "EU Global Approach to Migration.”

Furthermore, Greece will update the "EU Action on Migratory Pressures – a Strategic Response" with emphasis on measures to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

The prospects created by the Association Agreement signed by the EU and Moldova in Vilnius last week dominated the meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas and visiting Moldovan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iulian Groza, on December 5. Their discussion focused on bilateral trade prospects and the presence of Greek business in the Moldovan market; the possibility of a visa waiver for Moldovan passports was also discussed. Both sides agreed on setting up a joint governmental committee on economic, technological and scientific cooperation.