European Asylum Support Office Executive Director Robert Visser said here on Tuesday that the Cyprus EU Presidency, in the second half of 2012, will have a ‘glorious’ role to play in the adoption of the new asylum package.

Visser, who also expressed his appreciation over Cyprus’ support of EASO, was talking during a joint press conference with Minister of Interior Neoklis Sylikiotis after a meeting they had this morning.
On his part Sylikiotis said that Cyprus supports decisively the need for a Common European Asylum Policy.

Visser said the meeting with Sylikiotis was ‘very fruitful’, adding that his presence in Cyprus is very important since as one of the frontline EU states it has a specific role to play in the subject of illegal migration and asylum.

In this respect, he said “it is not the only one but certainly one of the important states in the EU”. “Within the EU we are working on the Common European Asylum System, the new asylum package has just been launched by the Commission and for Cyprus and its Presidency next year there certainly will be a glorious role to play,” he said.

He continued saying that “it is in that respect of the Common European Asylum that this new agency IASO has to be seen”.