Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-05-09

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Médecins Sans Frontières financial independence makes organisation more flexible, its general director tells ANA-MPA

[02] Fine on EU member states that will not contribute to the refugees crisis will be imposed soon, says EU Commissioner Avramopoulos

[01] Médecins Sans Frontières financial independence makes organisation more flexible, its general director tells ANA-MPA

"Our choice to refuse state funding makes the organization more flexible and ready to go where it is needed," she added.

On the refugee crisis, she said that approximately 700 people of the organisation are now employed at the structures in Greece.

"We are talking about 'trapped' refugees, but we are not talking about the access provided to hospitals, schools and employment. The approximately 55,000 refugees is not a large number taken into account that 10 percent of the Greek population was refugees seven years ago. Most of the refugees will leave, but the rest will have to live in communities," she underlined.

Asked why non-governmental organisations replace the state in social crisis, she stated: "When the state is not able to provide assistance, it needs at least to protect those that do so."

The full interview is available in Greek for subscribers at ANA-MPA website.

[02] Fine on EU member states that will not contribute to the refugees crisis will be imposed soon, says EU Commissioner Avramopoulos

During a press conference in Thessaloniki on the occasion of the signing of the first agreeement of the so-called Juncker plan, Avramopoulos said that the specific measure will be implemented adding that it is an act of solidarity in the management of the refugee crisis under financial conditions.

"Everything is happening very quickly in Europe. Europe is moving faster than the developments in many occasions," he stated.

Earlier during his address to the event on the Juncker package, Avramopoulos said that "solidarity and responsibility are not only a moral issue but mostly legal responsibilities for the member states and the EU governments because they are clearly stated in the treaties."

He sternly accused EU governments that adopt a "clearly nationalist and populist politics to explain to their domestic audience the migration issue and this is something very dangerous because it turns Europe back to the dark ages of its history."

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article