Feb 20, 2016, 8:56 AM

Merkel, Hollande pledge to keep Greek EU borders open until March 6

BRUSSELS, Feb. 20 (MNA) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have vowed to keep Greece’s Schengen borders open until March 6 at a trilateral meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who reiterated that will not accept unilateral actions.

The meeting reportedly took place ahead of the two-day EU summit that began Thursday in Brussels.

"For their part, the German Chancellor and French President assured the Greek Prime Minister that Greece will receive all the assistance it had requested. Merkel and Hollande pledged to maintain the status quo on the European borders until an extraordinary EU summit on March 6, when Turkey’s refugee management will be assessed," .

Tsipras told the German and French leaders that Greece, which "bore the greatest brunt of the migrant crisis," is the only country meeting its obligations, according to the source.

"He also said that unilateral actions will be unacceptable to Greece," adding that all three leaders agreed that Turkey plays a key role in resolving the crisis.

Tsipras made emphasis in the group VISEGRAD (Chez Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), when he insisted that the solution to the refugee crisis is not with fences or xenophobic attitude and that Europe cannot have ruiles that apply only to one.

Europe is in a critical crossroads and it should remain united and in solidarity, Tsipras said.

sgl/lma/acm

PL-43/MNA

News ID 114576