On the sidelines of the Conference of the International Organization of La Francophonie held in Djerba, Tunisia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, held, inter alia, bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Cameroon, two countries with large numbers of irregular migrants in Cyprus.
During these meetings, it was agreed to start bilateral negotiations with the aim of concluding agreements on the readmission of migrants. Both countries recognize the need to address the issue of the instrumentalization of migration, as a result of which large numbers of migrants are funneled to Cyprus by traffickers.
Additionally, both countries recognize that given their internal situation, their citizens have no valid reasons for seeking asylum abroad. Therefore, the Foreign Minister and his counterparts noted that they share a common approach regarding the root causes of the problem and the ways to deal with it.
Mr. Kasoulides will thoroughly inform the Minister of the Interior on the outcome of his meetings.