Rome (dpa) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for solidarity from all member states in the discussion about a common asylum policy in the European Union. “All attempts either to leave the problems with someone else or to point the finger at others will fail,” Scholz said after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Those who want to overcome the challenges associated with refugee migration can only do so together in the European Union.”
The EU member states are grappling with a reform of the asylum procedures, one particular issue being the rules governing the EU’s external borders. The majority of the EU’s interior ministers have already agreed to reform the procedures.
Germany and Italy meanwhile want to further deepen their relations. At their meeting, Scholz and Meloni agreed that German-Italian government consultations should be held again this autumn for the first time since 2016. An action plan to deepen relations between the two countries is also to be adopted then, announced Scholz. He described Italy as an “important partner and reliable friend”.