EU’s top diplomat to hold talks in Ankara

ANKARA

The European Union’s foreign policy and security high representative, Josep Borrell, and its commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, will hold talks in Turkey after the Turkish government decided to open its borders to Europe to refugees late last week.

“High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič will travel to Ankara from Tuesday, 3 March to Wednesday, 4 March 2020. They will hold talks on the ongoing escalation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib and the humanitarian consequences for the civilian population on the ground, as well as the situation of Syrian refugees in Turkey,” read a statement issued by the EU Commission on March 3.

The visit takes place ahead of the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) and the extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council to be chaired by Borrell in Zagreb later this week. Lenarčič, for his side, will continue his trip to Turkey by visiting the refugee facilities in Turkey’s southeastern province of Gaziantep, read the statement.