In Brussels, MAE's Podgorean discusses migration challenges

The need for a coordinated and comprehensive response on the part of the EU to the current migration challenges, correlated with increasing refugee flows worldwide, was discussed on Tuesday in Brussels by State Secretary with Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) Radu Podgorean as he attended a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council.

Photo credit: (c) GRIGORE POPESCU / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Podgorean pointed out that the issue of refugees and internally displaced people has to be approached by a consistent strategy that will focus on conflict prevention, reconciliation, reconstruction, protection of the minorities, as well as employment. Thus, youth training and employment as well as good governance programmes should become a priority as they are the basis for stability and security in the home countries.

MAE quotes Podgorean in a press release as saying that in terms of development, the most important solutions regard the management of the migration phenomenon and supporting the home and transit countries, with the post-2015 Agenda providing relevant suggestions in the area. He also voiced the idea of transforming migration into a positive factor that could generate economic growth and development for the home and the destination countries.

The meeting of the ministers in charge with international development cooperation of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council discussed a post-2015 development agenda, development funding, gender policy, migration and security correlated with development policy.

In his speech on the post-2015 agenda, Podgorean emphasised that the complex negotiating process conducted in New York that has to take into account new economic and geopolitical realities worldwide.

The ministers also adopted conclusions...