Polish Foreign Min. Schetyna eyes mid-Oct. refugee quota decision
PR dla Zagranicy
Jo Harper
01.09.2015 20:01
Poland’s position on the allocation of refugees within the EU will be worked out by mid-October’s scheduled meeting of the European Council, Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said.
Schetyna meets the press. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
"The situation of refugees in Europe is very dynamic, but Poland will respond to it calmly and rationally," the minister said.
PM Ewa Kopacz said earlier in the day that Poland would consider raising its 2,200 quota, having been set against any change for several months.
During a press conference in Kielce, southern Poland, Schetyna said the refugee issue will be discussed at three meetings: on Friday and Saturday - during meetings of foreign ministers in Luxembourg, 14 September in Brussels at a meeting of EU ministers of justice and home affairs, as well as in Prague at a meeting of heads of governments of the Visegrad Group.
"This is the place where we will talk about the future, also the new situation that is becoming more dramatic in Europe - in terms of the number of illegal immigrants. (...) We need to analyse the problem and consider an action plan not only for the immediate future, designed to save or to receive refugees who are in Europe, but also how to solve this problem in the long run. It is also a great challenge for all EU countries and we must be ready for such a serious conversation," the Foreign Minister said. (jh/rk)