BRUSSELS — Greece mitigated the impact of the migration crisis in the last months by reducing the primary flows to EU and, at the same time, offered improved reception capability and a better integration programme than that which had existed for many many years previously, Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi underlined on Wednesday, in joint statements with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in Brussels.

On her part, Johansson said that Ankara was obliged to "show steadily that it observes the EU-Turkey Statement."

"We are renewing first reception capabillity with new reception facilities on the islands of Samos, Kos and Leros, which we expect to operate in the summer of 2021," said Mitarachi, adding that there was also a discussion on the need for the Migration and Asylum Agreement to progress.

The minister also said that his talks with Johansson included a discussion on the external dimension and the need to build relations that work with the transit countries and the countries of origin, and that in the case of Greece this means the full implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement of 2016.

(ANA/ E. Zarkadoula)