He pointed out that the Iraqi delegation had met with all the most important Lithuanian institutions, visited migrant camps and helped to obtain a lot of information about migrants.
“I would like to be optimistic, because that was one of the specific promises we received in Baghdad – but we will not be happy until we start sending people back or until the number of flights starts to decrease. [no Bagdādes uz Minsku], “wrote Landsbergis.
According to the Minister, if this visit of Iraqi specialists proves successful, a visit of Lithuanian specialists to Iraq is planned, as well as a trip to the Iraqi Kurdistan capital Erbil.
“Today, I once again called on the Iraqi government to suspend flights to Minsk as soon as possible and to open a special consular mission in Lithuania,” Landsbergis said.
He emphasized that the role of the European Union (EU) was particularly important in this situation.
“It doesn’t matter how many tents or mattresses we send if not stopped [migrantu] flow, – equipment will always be lacking. Although tents and mattresses are needed, this is not the axis of EU migration policy. The main task we report to the EU institutions is to help us dismantle this network and start sending people back, “said the Lithuanian Foreign Minister.” Europe does not have an effective migration policy, but maybe Lithuania will be the last critical drop and we will eventually agree – either the EU guards its borders and is able to withstand hybrid attacks, or just supplies tents. “
According to him, Europe still has a lot of untapped leverage to persuade Iraq and Turkey to dismantle migration flows and “put [autoritārajam Baltkrievijas līderim Aleksandram] Lukashenko to rethink “.
The Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonīte has pointed out that the arrival of the Iraqi delegation in Lithuania should not be accompanied by too high hopes for a quick solution to the migration crisis.
“There is a mission of Iraqi authorities in Lithuania this week. I would like our expectations on these issues to be adequate – it cannot be resolved quickly and easily. It will not be the case that an Iraqi official arrives and takes hundreds of people on board, “The head of government spoke after a meeting with the president and leaders of political parties.
She said that of the more than 3,200 illegal migrants who have entered Lithuania across the Belarusian border since the beginning of this year, about two-thirds say they are Iraqi citizens.
Šimonīte assessed the response of Iraqi officials to Lithuania’s request to come and help clarify the situation in the places of detention of migrants as a very good sign.
“However, whether it is Iraq or Turkey, we have higher hopes for the contacts that the EU institutions will make, given the EU’s special status and the sufficiently significant leverage that can be used in these discussions,” the prime minister said.
