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responsibility taken up by every policies and actions to improve Q: Greece is on the front
Presidency stems from the need to initial deficiencies in the Euro area line in receiving refugees,
coordinate and reach consensual architecture, which have been something that the UNHCR
positions among the twenty-eight unveiled by the ongoing crisis. has acknowledged. Given
member states of the EU, this The aim remains to safeguard the the financial difficulties that
consensus being the very asset irrevocability of the common cur- Greece is facing, how have
and the uniqueness of the EU. rency, on a solid and sustainable Greece's relations with the
After the Lisbon Treaty, the Euro- basis. UNHCR evolved? Is there
pean Union has the tool, namely greater cooperation or grea-
the EEAS, to be represented in a The third one is migration, bor- ter tension?
unified manner in foreign policy ders and mobility. We have placed
issues. The Greek Presidency migration on the EU agenda, by We are very open and forthcoming
works very closely and harmo- establishing three main targets: in our cooperation with UNHCR,
niously with the EU delegation in (a) organizing better legal migra- implementing together a series of
Geneva since Greece is a fervent tion, (b) reducing undocumented bilateral programmes. I have re-
supporter of European integration migration, while safeguarding cently visited High Commissioner
and of course of European ideals. human rights, and (c) enhancing Guterres, within the framework of
synergies between migration and our close cooperation and regular
Every Presidency has to establish growth. The Greek Presidency will exchange of views. UNHCR is ap-
certain key priorities and some also strive towards enhancing EU preciative of our efforts to address
of our priorities have a distinctly cooperation with third countries the increasing migratory pres-
Geneva flavour. The first priority of origin and transit of migrants. sure on our borders. Since 2010,
is jobs, growth and cohesion in when we started to receive this
Europe. Unemployment, and es- The fourth one, which is a very migratory inflow, Greece adop-
pecially youth unemployment, is Greek priority, aiming to achieve ted a new strategic plan on asy-
one of the biggest challenges that an integrated maritime policy. lum and migration management,
we are facing in Europe today. Greece is a sea-faring country with a National Plan, which has been
a big merchant fleet, so we are well implemented with considerable
The second priority is further inte- aware of the potential of the sea, success, particularly with the help
gration in the Eurozone and ban- as well as of the needs of mana- of the UNHCR office in Athens.
king union. Deepening the union, ging its resources in a sustainable At the end of 2012, the National
especially the EMU, by promoting way. Plan was updated with the revised
I 14 International