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BRATISLAVA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The sustainable reform of the Common European Asylum System is the key priority of the Slovak EU presidency, announced Slovak interior minister Robert Kalinak here on Thursday.
Kalinak made the announcement after an informal meeting of the interior ministers of the EU's 28 member states, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, and candidate countries.
"The European Commission and the European Council no longer refer to the issue of migration in general terms. Concrete measures have been adopted. I believe that what we set out to do within our presidency of the Council of the EU will materialize very soon and that in six months from now we will be able to show the EU's citizens that we are capable of safeguarding the values of the Union, which are taken for granted today," stressed Kalinak.
He said the Slovak presidency would promote a positive agenda in the area of migration, including policies such as smart borders and the Blue Card scheme for highly qualified workers outside the EU, which will encourage legal migration to the EU.
The EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramoupulos believes the Slovak Presidency will be successful.
"The Commission will next week present the completed version of reformed Common European Asylum System," said Avramoupulos, adding that important part will be establishing a "new Partnership Framework" with third countries, which lays the groundwork for entering into and implementing individualised bilateral agreements on migration management with third countries.
Kalinak called the issue of returns and readmissions one of the "top priorities".
"Furthermore, we aim to follow closely the state of play regarding the Western Balkans route and the implementation of the EU's agreement with Turkey. It is necessary to halt the inflow of illegal migrants and to fight criminal networks and organisations of smugglers, which take advantage of the precarious situation of the groups of people who are fleeing war, oppression and persecution," he explained.
According to Kalinak, effective control of the external borders is the backbone of security. "The restoration of the functioning of the Schengen borders is a key priority. With that in mind, we need to continue the process of establishing a European Border and Coast Guard, which is vital to ensure the proper functioning of the Schengen system. We are doing our best to ensure that the Guard can begin to operate as early as this autumn," he said. Enditem
