A clash over immigration was finally averted at the EU’s Council of Interior Ministers in Luxembourg, as an agreement was reached between the two key leaders on Thursday night pillars of the Union’s asylum and immigration reform.

After a long and difficult negotiation, the Swedish EU presidency announced that “ministers have just agreed on a general approach on the regulation on the management of asylum and immigration and the regulation on the asylum procedure. These dossiers are the two main pillars of the reform of the EU asylum system and are the key to a good balance between responsibility and solidarity.” “Hard work over several presidencies has contributed to the result we have achieved today,” Stockholm added.

It is noted that based on the agreement reached, a mandatory solidarity mechanism is created for the first time, something that was traditionally requested by the member states of the first reception, like Greece.

“A historic day!”

As an “extremely important step” in the EU immigration policy, today’s agreement in the Council is characterized by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, with her post on Twitter, while the vice-president of the Commission, Margaritis Schinas, speaks of a “historic day ».

“An extremely important one step on migration policy in the EU was reached today in the Council. We look forward to starting trilogues with the European Parliament. We are much stronger when we work together,” Commissioner Johansson tweeted.

“A historic day! Home Ministers came together today and agreed a firm basis for negotiating with the European Parliament, on two of our key proposals for the Migration Pact. Today we showed that we don’t give up. After years of failures, we have shown that, when it comes to immigration, Europe can succeed,” Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas says on Twitter.

“Front” of 10 countries, among them Greece and Italyagainst Sweden’s immigration proposal was noted earlier.

The 10 countries refused to support the reform of the European asylum system, at the crucial meeting of the EU interior ministers.

“We have a problem to support this text”, said Italian Minister Matteo Piandedosi.

Greece also opposed. “Like Italy, we are not ready to give the green light,” said General Secretary of Public Order Michael Karamalakis. “We are disappointed because our concerns were not taken into account,” he added, referring to the issue of transit countries, according to AFP.