November 26, 2015•Update: November 27, 2015
PARIS
French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Thursday their countries support a "global agreement" with Turkey on the refugee crisis and a broader coalition to destroy Daesh.
"We have discussed with Mr. Renzi the refugee crisis for which we need a global agreement with Turkey," Hollande told a joint press conference with Renzi in Paris.
"On Sunday, the European Council will be held in the presence of the Turkish authorities and we have – that's what I agreed with German Chancellor [Angela Merkel] yesterday – to reach a global agreement with Turkey... for border security, all borders, and to welcome the refugees in Turkey in conditions that allow them to stay as close as possible to their home countries and not to go to Europe, " added Hollande.
For Renzi "it is obvious that the only way that we can stop the exodus of asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants is to stop civil wars".
"A global agreement with Turkey can actually be meaningful if we want to reach a new host model of refugees and asylum seekers," he added.
Speaking about the war against Daesh, Hollande said that joint military operations must be initiated against the terrorist group.
"Italy and France are united against terrorism," he said.
Renzi said a broader coalition is needed to destroy Daesh and the “heinous project” that it represents.
"The attack that was carried out [in Paris] wasn't only against France or Europe but against the whole of humanity" said Renzi, stressing that "there is the need for an increasingly wide coalition to determine the destruction of ISIS [Daesh] and the heinous project it embodies".
The Italian prime minister also warned that Libya must be a priority as it "risks being the next biggest emergency".
"It is fundamental to give absolute priority to the Libyan issue which is at risk of becoming the number one emergency," Renzi said.
Hollande said cited Libya is one of the two "major issues" at the moment, along with Syria, which require "diplomatic initiatives".
"In Libya, we now need to establish what has been expected for too long: a government of national unity ... securing territory and preventing Daesh from settling and progressing, "said the French president.
