French, Spanish FMs discuss European migrant crisis

From Paris news souce

PARIS, June 14 (KUNA) -- French Foreign Minister
Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed on Thursday the current
European migrant crisis with Spanish counterpart
Josep Borrell and both sides urged "a broad
discussion" of this difficult issue at the European
Union summit on June 28-29, a French foreign ministry
source said.
Spain this week agreed to take in a humanitarian
vessel carrying more than 600 mainly African migrants
after the vessel was refused access to a dock by both
Italy and Malta.
France had criticized the Italian refusal, provoking a
diplomatic spat between Paris and Rome and the
cancellation of high-level meetings between Finance
Ministers, although a summit meeting between the
two countries leaders is to go ahead on Friday.
Le Drian told his Spanish counterpart, during a phone
call, that France was "ready to give support to Spain
by accepting in France passengers on the Aquarius
(humanitarian vessel) who answered the criteria for
asylum" here.
Le Drian praised the Spanish decision to allow the
troubled ship to dock in Valencia where it is to receive
badly-needed assistance and Spain welcomed the
French offer to take some of the more than 600

passengers on board. (end) jk.mb

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