Discussions regarding the management of the migration phenomenon at the national and regional level within the meeting of the representatives from the member countries in the Prague Process - Main contents
On June 10th-11th, 2019, the high officials meeting took place in Bucharest, organized on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Prague Process, in the context of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
There were 35 from the 50 states that have joined this cooperation platform, which mainly targets illegal migration, return, legal migration and mobility, asylum and international protection. Representatives of the European Commission, European Agencies and other international organizations also participated within the discussions.
The meeting started with the intervention of Secretary of State, Chief Commissar Catalin Necula, who reiterated the importance of regional processes and, in particular, of the Prague Process for Effective Migration Management. The Romanian dignitary has underlined the full support for the objectives of this cooperation platform, which manages to implement at the regional level the interests pursued at international level.
The participants emphasized upon the impact of the activities carried out under the auspices of the Prague Process at the national and regional level in the ten years of existence as well as the expectations of the represented states. The discussions then addressed the achievements and future plans of the Migration and Asylum Panel under the aegis of the Eastern Partnership, the potential cooperation of the European Migration Network with the Prague Process, as well as ways to improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation on the field of migration, asylum and migrant trafficking, return and readmission.
The Prague Process is a regional process that promotes migration partnerships between the countries of the European Union, the Schengen Area, the Eastern Partnership, the Western Balkans, Central Asia as well as Russia and Turkey. The action lines are supported by the European Commission. Romania, founding member of the Prague Process, is represented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.