BRUSSELS: The European Commission confirmed Wednesday that it will hold “technical talks” with Belarus on how to repatriate migrants seeking to cross the Polish border.
The European Union has not recognized President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, which earlier announced the talks as a diplomatic breakthrough in its stand-off with Brussels.
But EU spokesman Eric Mamer said the contacts would be limited to discussions with Belarus and UN agencies on how best to get the migrants back to their countries of origin.
“Belarus must grant access for humanitarian support and provide shelter for migrants in the country,” Mamer tweeted.
“The EU Commission will hold technical talks with UNHCR, IOM and Belarus on repatriations,” he said, referring to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.
Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, are camped at the Belarus-Poland border, allegedly lured there by Lukashenko’s regime in revenge for EU sanctions slapped on his autocratic regime.
Lukashenko and his main ally Russian President Vladimir Putin have rejected the accusations and criticized Brussels for not taking in the migrants who are seeking to cross over into EU member Poland.
EU confirms ‘technical talks’ with Belarus on migrants
https://arab.news/2b9ag
EU confirms ‘technical talks’ with Belarus on migrants
- EU has not recognised President Alexander Lukashenko's regime
- EU spokesman said contacts would be limited to discussions with Belarus and UN agencies on how best to get the migrants back
UK warship to leave for Cyprus next week: officials
- HMS Dragon, a Type 45 defense destroyer, will sail to aid Britain’s “defensive operations”
- Opposition lawmakers have accused the government of being too slow to deploy additional resources
LONDON: A UK warship due to be sent to Cyprus amid the US and Israel’s war with Iran will not set sail from Britain until next week, Western officials said Wednesday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that he was deploying HMS Dragon, a Type 45 defense destroyer to aid Britain’s “defensive operations” in the region.
Starmer also said he was sending two Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities.
The announcement came after several drone attacks from Iran targeted UK allies in the Middle East and after the UK Royal Air Force base Akrotiri was struck overnight Sunday to Monday.
Opposition lawmakers have accused the government of being too slow to deploy additional resources after the war started on Saturday with no British warship in the region.
The destroyer is being resupplied with ammunition and will sail next week, the officials told reporters in London.
“We’ve had to change weapon systems on it, finish welding, get it up and running, and get it sailing as fast as possible,” Defense Minister Al Carns told Sky News.
Its voyage to the eastern Mediterranean is expected to take several days.
Starmer refused to allow the Americans to use UK air bases to launch the initial strikes on Iran on Saturday.
He later agreed to a US request to use two British military bases — one in southwest England and the other in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean — for a “specific and limited defensive purpose.”
The officials said Wednesday that US bombers have not yet used those bases to launch missions but they are expected to do so in the coming days.
They also said that the drone, which caused little damage and no casualties when it hit the runway at Akrotiri, had not been launched from Iran.
A Cypriot government source said Monday that the drones had been launched from Lebanon, “most likely” by Hezbollah, a historical ally of Iran in the Middle East.
