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Greece completes wall extension on border as Afghan migrant fears grow
Greece said on Friday it had completed a 40-kilometre fence on its natural border with Turkey, and a new surveillance system was in place, amid concerns that there could be an increase in migrants into Europe after Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
The recent development in Afghanistan has fuelled fears in Europe of a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis, when nearly a million people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and beyond crossed to Greece from Turkey before continuing to other EU states, Reuters reported.
Greece, on the front line of that crisis, has said its border forces are on alert to make sure it does not become Europe’s gateway again.
“We examined ways to enhance surveillance and protection systems,” said Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos during a tour of the border with Greece’s citizens protection minister and military officials, adding, “This plan is being implemented and being carried out at a fast and intensified pace in view of the developments outside the borders of the country.”
The two ministers inspected the completion of an extension of the existing fence along the river border with Turkey, which began last year, and the implementation of a hi-tech, automated electronic monitoring system, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with Turkey’s president, Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday.
Erdogan said on Thursday Turkey had also taken measures along its border with Iran and his country would not become “Europe’s migrant storage unit”, Reuters reported.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
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