[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The European Union (EU) is convening an extraordinary meeting to discuss the migrant issue that recently escalated due to conflicts between France and Italy.
The Czech Republic, holding the rotating presidency of the EU, announced on Twitter on the 17th (local time) that it will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Interior Ministers on the 25th, stating, "The interior ministers of member states plan to address the current situation regarding all migration routes."
The reason for the EU convening an unscheduled meeting is interpreted as an effort to mediate and seek solutions in case conflicts arise among member states over the migrant issue.
France and Italy recently clashed fiercely over the entry of the refugee rescue ship Ocean Viking, carrying 234 migrants.
The Ocean Viking, chartered by the French relief organization SOS M?diterran?e, requested entry to Italy but was refused, drifting in the Mediterranean for three weeks before docking at the French port of Toulon. France and Italy conflicted over the responsibility for accommodating the migrants during this process.
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