PM call for strengthening of EU southern neighbourhood policy
The Polish prime minister has called for a strengthening of the EU's Neighbourhood policy with African countries.
Speaking at a press conference during a trip to Spain, Mateusz Morawiecki stressed his support for the policy, which aims to improve cooperation with states in North Africa in areas such as migration and security.
He added that in the “future” the policy — or “partnership” as Morawiecki described it — should resemble the Eastern Partnership, a joint initiative between the EU and six former Soviet bloc countries.
"Above all we are in favour of strengthening our means of defending the external borders, but also strengthening cooperation with third countries," he said.
"I would be in favour of a definite strengthening of the southern partnership, and its structuring," Morawiecki added. "I think that Spain, Portugal and France know best what to focus on."
He said that the programme should cover "at least in the first line" Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and "further south, the Western Sahara, a place from which comes various types of people smuggling."
