VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th March, 2020) Austria has given Greece 1 million Euros ($1.13 million) to help it improve the humanitarian conditions for refugees arriving in the country, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday.
"We allocated 1 million euros from the external disaster relief fund to support Greece in improving the humanitarian conditions for refugees there. We also discussed today that we will expand this initiative to support children and those who need special protection in Greece," Kurz said at a press conference, following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
He added that Austria supported Greece's efforts to protect the external borders of the EU. In addition to deploying troops as part of the Frontex mission, Austria has sent a Cobra special forces unit with an armored car, unmanned aerial vehicles and other equipment to help Greek police secure the border.
In late February, Turkey announced it would not be able to stem the flow of migrants and refugees following renewed violence in Syria's Idlib province, and therefore would open its borders with the European Union to those wishing to cross. Soon after, Turkey's borders with Greece and Bulgaria were flooded with thousands of migrants.
