Statement by President of the Government following European Council meeting

Brussels

President of the Government.- Good evening. Today's European Council has principally tackled the issue of the migratory crisis and the problems of asylum we are facing at this time in the European Union.

There was an initial speech, regarding which there is nothing particularly new to mention, from the British Prime Minister in relation to the proposals he wishes to make to reform the European Union vis-à-vis the referendum he intends to hold in his country, in which he has stated that he would like to see the United Kingdom remain in the European Union; but there is no breaking news in this regard and he will present a document at the appropriate time to the Presidency of the Council. There was then a brief speech, at which there was nothing major new to report on, on the Climate Change Summit that will be held in Paris on 30 November, which I will attend in my capacity as President of the Government of Spain. Then the bulk of the meeting revolved around the migratory crisis that Europe is going through at this time.

I believe that some significant progress has been made, because three criteria have been set which will be pushed through at the summit that will take place in Valletta, in Malta, with the countries of the African Union.

Firstly, there is a firm intention on the part of the European Union to cooperate with the countries of the African Union. I believe that this is very positive. I have been saying for a long time that while people cannot live in a dignified manner in their own country they will obviously try to move to other countries, or while there are people living in a country at war, or in a country where human rights are not respected. Hence, this is very positive; the criterion of cooperating with countries in Africa and trying to improve their standard of living so that people can have a dignified life there is positive. Secondly, we are going to work jointly with the African countries that wish to do so, to patrol their borders and avoid human trafficking mafias. And thirdly, we are going to forge agreements to repatriate those people who, taken advantage of by the mafias, move from their countries to the rest of Europe.

I believe that this meeting in Malta is positive. A trust fund is being set up to have sufficient resources available to help these countries in trying to raise their standard of living and bring an end to the dramatic and terrible spectacles that we have been witnessing in the Mediterranean for some years now, and in a heightened fashion over recent months.

We also spoke about an agreement with Turkey. Turkey, as you are aware, through the work carried out with the European Commission, is a country in which there are 2 million Syrian refugees. This is causing it major difficulties, many problems and, on occasions, the practical impossibility of attending to so many people who are fleeing Syria.

Finally, we spoke about Syria and Libya. There is confidence in Libya that an agreement will be reached shortly and a government will be formed with which we can speak, and through which the country can work and look to the future. And we also spoke about the matter of Syria where there are no less than 8 million people displaced, in Syria alone, and then another 1 million people in Lebanon, 2 million in Turkey and many other people in the European Union.

Clearly the situation needs normalising in this country. The main enemy is DAESH. There is also a general conviction that Bashar al-Assad is not the solution to this issue, but the main enemy is DAESH and we must continue working in the future to bring an end to this dramatic situation, which we have been living through for four long years and which is causing a veritable humanitarian disaster.

In short, that is what we have spoken about.

Q.- President of the Government, as regards Turkey and the agreement you have spoken about, there was talk of a large sum of money. Can you confirm that this is the case? And on the issue of Syria, with the statement you have made, where does the solution lie?

President of the Government.- As regards the issue of Turkey, no sums of money are mentioned in the conclusions, and hence there is no commitment of any type from anyone. No amounts whatsoever appear in the agreement. Clearly, the European Commission must continue negotiating; it has a mandate to negotiate with Turkey. It is important to help Turkey. Turkey has received more than 2 million people fleeing from their own country, because they are in danger there, firstly, for their own lives, and then for those of their families. It is a country where it is very difficult to live at this time. Hence, I believe that it is important for the European Union, which has given a mandate to the Commission, to help Turkey.

As regards the question of Syria, it is clear that the main enemy is DAESH, and it is clear that we must try, based on that, to form the most representative government possible but which, at any event, must not be headed up, as a definitive solution, by Bashar al-Assad.

Q.- (Inaudible)

President of the Government.- As regards the permanent mechanism… Of course, we have still not implemented the provisional mechanism, which was agreed in the month of July, but now we are going to talk, as you know, about a pilot project in Spain, and what we need to do is see how events unfold in order to take definitive decisions.

But there is no final decision on this matter, it has not even been proposed, and no-one has said yes or no, but quite simply that we will continue reflecting and continue working to improve this situation. But, for the time being, we must implement the initial decisions we have adopted before summer, something that has not been done yet.

Q.- When will the first refugees arrive in Spain?

President of the Government.- I believe that very shortly a Spanish delegation will travel to Italy and, following that, some refugees will arrive under the pilot project. They have only arrived so far to one country in the European Union, to Sweden, but now they will start arriving in Spain. The issue is that Spain is offering asylum to a great many people at this time under this procedure, something we would also do well to remember.

Q.- President of the Government, this morning the President of the Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, complained that governments are not complying with the terms of the agreement reached at the last summit, and they still haven't provided the funds they had promised.

President of the Government.- We are complying to the same degree as everyone else is complying.

Q.- Have you tackled the issue of Catalonia with any of your European colleagues?

President of the Government.- No. Quite frankly, no-one has asked me about it.

Q.- What do you think about the appointment of Alfonso Alonso as the new President of the PP in the Basque Country?

President of the Government.- I think that's wonderful. I believe he is an intelligent, capable and well-qualified man. He has been Mayor of Vitoria, he knows the Basque Country very well; I have appointed him as minister and I believe that he is an excellent minister. Hence, I believe that the People's Party in the Basque Country has made the right choice.

Thank you very much.