ATHENS – Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi on Tuesday pointed out the need to strengthen the cooperation between NATO member-states and neighbouring countries to tackle human trafficking rings, while addressing the NATO parliamentary assembly’s special group for the Mediterranean and Middle East which met at the Greek parliament.

Additionally, Mitarachi urged Turkey “to intercept the illegal departures from its coasts”.

According a migration ministry announcement, Mitarachi noted that NATO is in its 73rd year and in those years one can track its successes in protecting the security of its member-states and the world.

Mitarachi, also referred to the efforts to instrumentalise the migration issue, noting that human trafficking rings should be tackled. “To facilitate the transportation of people to a county aiming at its destabilisation is obviously something not acceptable,” he said, adding that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made things worse in terms of the migration issue.

Finally, Mitarachi underlined that Greece supports the enlargement of the Alliance with Sweden and Finland, “which will further strenghten our ability to address the constantly changing external security environment”.