ANTALYA, Turkiye
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister has said he is “totally opposed” to treating Ukrainian refugees differently from Syrian refugees.
“I am totally opposed to treating refugees from Ukraine, where there is a war, people have to flee the war, differently from those who have to leave Syria or other countries in this region,” Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's minister of foreign and European affairs, immigration and asylum, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
The three-day forum in the resort city of Antalya which concluded on Sunday brought together participants from 75 countries, including 17 heads of state, 80 government ministers, and 39 representatives of international organizations.
Asselborn stressed that it's “not acceptable in Europe to treat people differently based on their skin color, their language, and their religion.”
“I hope that which we've done now for Ukrainians, this is our duty to do, it is the duty to do it also for other people, in other regions who have to run away from their country, who may have a different religion, but we have to accept them too,” he said.
“If war makes people flee, the door to the EU must be open for some, as for others,” he added.
Asked about the EU’s immigration policies, he answered: “There are two important words: this is solidarity and responsibility.”
“In all the countries of the EU, we are not good with regard to migration,” he noted.
“We have enormous problems, in some countries but also in general, and therefore if we cannot establish a European migration policy, I think that we will drag this ball and chain for years to come,” he said.
“If the EU is a place where we defend human rights, we defend the rule of law, we must come together to have a common migration policy which is in line with EU values.”
According to the UN, more than 2.7million people from Ukraine have already sought refuge abroad. Meanwhile, more than 6 million Syrians have fled the country and 6.7 million are internally displaced since the start of civil war in 2011, according UN figures.
Russia-Ukraine war
On the trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkiye in Antalya on Wednesday, Asselborn said the immediate result of the meeting was “not good” but added: “I think both parties have made an appointment for a second round and that is very important.”
“In any case, as I know Minister Lavrov very well, who was appointed in 2004, like myself, we have both been there for 18 years, and also Dmytro Kuleba who is a friend also, I hope that the two can get the diplomacy going again to stop,” he said.
“This is barbarism, this is carnage of the Ukrainian people. In fact, it doesn't have a purpose in the 21st Century," he said, as the Russia-Ukraine war entered its 19th day.
Asked about Luxembourg’s position on Ukraine’s EU membership push, he said the issue was discussed during the EU leaders’ meeting on Thursday in Versailles, outside Paris.
“We have always used the word 'aspiration' to become a member of the EU,” he said.
“I believe that we must work to deepen this word 'aspiration' and I also think that we must not tell people ‘if we accept now or later, Ukraine in the EU’, the problem would be solved,” he added.
EU’s sanctions on Russia
On EU's sanctions on Russia after its attacks on Ukraine, the minister said the 27 member states of the bloc were on the “same line” and in “solidarity” with the decision.
“It's not just sanctions that can change the world,” he said. However, he added: “But obviously here we wanted to show all the same that this is inadmissible, inadmissible that we can continue to do business or financial transactions with a president of this great country of Russia, who does not observe the fundamental rules of international law.”
Recalling that the European Commission is currently working on the EU’s energy independence, he said this transition is “very important”.
“Russia has punished itself, because there are a lot of American and European companies who have left the country, and unfortunately this consequence will also increase unemployment in Russia,” he said.
* Contributions by Cindi Cook in Paris.
