The memorandum of understanding between Cyprus, the European Commission and relevant EU will strengthen cooperation in the field of migration, European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas said on Saturday.

Addressing an event of the Glafcos Clerides Institute on the Future of Europe, he said that with the support of the current French Presidency, “we are proceeding with a whole range of actions”, because as long as no agreement on asylum emerges, “we will be like firefighters running from one crisis to another when we need to be architects of a new unwavering regulatory framework”.

The memorandum will be signed during his visit to Cyprus which started on Saturday.

Schinas referred to the internal security policy, stressing that the EU cannot be resilient, autonomous and be taking seriously internationally without a strong security policy.

The current commission, he said, made the first step for security, building a common home as well as the policies on defence, digital policies in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and hybrid threats.

Referring to Ukraine, he said that it is clear that coordinated cyberattacks on all systems of the Ukrainian government indicate that even if the war is not held on the battleground, it already began in the form of hybrid threats.