Dimitris Avramopoulos did not raise the issue of Qatari visas in their meetings in 2020, former EU Migration Commissioner Ylva Johansson has said, responding to reports that she discussed lifting visa requirements for Qatar with her predecessor, the former Greek commissioner, during a meeting in March 2020 at the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels.
"Of course, it's not so easy to remember exactly what happened in March 2020, but I had very few meetings with my predecessor, Mr Avramopoulos. What I do know is that he did not raise the Qatar visa issue with me," the former commissioner said on the sidelines of a press conference on Wednesday, at which she presented conclusions in her capacity as chair of the European Skills High-Level Board, alongside European Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu. The conclusions concerned building stronger links between businesses and regions through "skills ecosystems," known as SPARKs, aimed at speeding up adult reskilling and upskilling across Europe to meet labour market needs and the challenges of the digital and green transitions.
A vote on immunity approaches
According to information from the Cyprus News Agency, a session on lifting Avramopoulos's immunity could be scheduled at the Hellenic Parliament's Committee on Institutions and Transparency for next Tuesday or Wednesday, at which the MP and former commissioner is expected to address the matter himself. Based on this timeline, the request to lift his immunity, needed to execute the European Arrest Warrant issued by Belgian authorities, could reach the full Hellenic Parliament for a final vote as early as the end of July. While the warrant, sent to Greece four weeks ago, awaits execution, no new information has been released on the matter by the Belgian prosecutor's office.
Source: CNA
