Jens Stoltenberg clearly said this is one of the problems linked to immigration issues. The EU gives the green light to a military operation in the Mediterannean sea
by Emanuele Bonini
Migration flows can represent a serious threat to the European security, warned today the Secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, in the margin of the joint meeting of the Defence and Foreign affairs council where the EU ministers gave their green light to an EU military operation - EUNAVFOR Med - to break the business model of smugglers and traffickers of people in the Mediterranean. Talking about migrants coming from the southern shore of the Mediterranean sea, «one of the problems is that foreign fighters or terrorists could be hidden among these migrants», pointed out Stoltenberg, who said the Alliance «stands ready to support the European military mission in case of request by our partners» of the EU. Among the EU member States Italy shares Stoltenberg's concerns. «We have no information about the presence of terrorist infiltration within the arriving migrants at this stage, but we cannot rule this chance out, especially when we think to large numbers», stated the Italian minister of Defence, Roberta Pinotti. That's the reason why Italy called for an EU-NATO partnership in the Mediterranean. «A NATO anti-terrorist operation exists since long time, and I do believe that a coordination is desirable», she said referring to the Active Endeavour operation. Pinotti recalled that the Italian position is not a new one. «Our country asked already such a coordination, because we had guessed that the southern shore of the Mediterranean could represent risks».
In the meanwhile the EU member States decided to establish the EUNAVFOR Med military operation for tackling the human trafficking in the Mediterranean sea. EUNAVFOR Med will be conducted in sequential phases and in accordance with the requirements of international law. Planning of the operation and the initial phase of surveillance and assessment of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean will be conducted as soon as possible. The second and third phases of the operation would work to search, seize and disrupt the assets of smugglers, based on international law and in partnership with Libyan authorities. The operational headquarters of EUNAVFOR Med will be in Rome and Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino (Italy) has been appointed as Operation Commander. The common costs of the operation are estimated at €11.82 million for a two months start up phase plus an initial mandate of 12 months.
Migration flows can represent a serious threat to the European security, warned today the Secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, in the margin of the joint meeting of the Defence and Foreign affairs council where the EU ministers gave their green light to an EU military operation - EUNAVFOR Med - to break the business model of smugglers and traffickers of people in the Mediterranean. Talking about migrants coming from the southern shore of the Mediterranean sea, «one of the problems is that foreign fighters or terrorists could be hidden among these migrants», pointed out Stoltenberg, who said the Alliance «stands ready to support the European military mission in case of request by our partners» of the EU. Among the EU member States Italy shares Stoltenberg's concerns. «We have no information about the presence of terrorist infiltration within the arriving migrants at this stage, but we cannot rule this chance out, especially when we think to large numbers», stated the Italian minister of Defence, Roberta Pinotti. That's the reason why Italy called for an EU-NATO partnership in the Mediterranean. «A NATO anti-terrorist operation exists since long time, and I do believe that a coordination is desirable», she said referring to the Active Endeavour operation. Pinotti recalled that the Italian position is not a new one. «Our country asked already such a coordination, because we had guessed that the southern shore of the Mediterranean could represent risks».
In the meanwhile the EU member States decided to establish the EUNAVFOR Med military operation for tackling the human trafficking in the Mediterranean sea. EUNAVFOR Med will be conducted in sequential phases and in accordance with the requirements of international law. Planning of the operation and the initial phase of surveillance and assessment of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean will be conducted as soon as possible. The second and third phases of the operation would work to search, seize and disrupt the assets of smugglers, based on international law and in partnership with Libyan authorities. The operational headquarters of EUNAVFOR Med will be in Rome and Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino (Italy) has been appointed as Operation Commander. The common costs of the operation are estimated at €11.82 million for a two months start up phase plus an initial mandate of 12 months.
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