Germany’s Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Roth has come out acknowledging the burden placed on Greece by the refugee crisis and has asked for more equitable arrangements within the European Union.
During an interview with Greek media, Roth stressed the need for an efficient and solidarity-based sharing of burdens as regards to the relocation of refugees in the EU, without exceptions.
The German Deputy Foreign Minister welcomed the most recent ruling of the European Court of Justice, which stated that this is an obligation shared by all member states and pointed out that Greece and Italy cannot bear and carry out this difficult task alone, helped only by a few states willing to show solidarity, such as Sweden and Germany.
Roth also said that Turkey is currently “miles away from the European Union” and underlined that Turkey’s European perspective depends on itself.
Roth described the Social Democrats’ (SPD) candidate Martin Schulz as “a passionate European”, adding that his election would mean that both Greece and Europe would have a strong advocate for a European Union based on social cohesion, stability and solidarity.
