Foreign Minister: Naval operation seeks to nix profitable human smuggling

The European Union's naval operation in the southern Mediterranean under the name 'EUNAVFOR Med' is designed to thwart the lucrative people-smuggling business, which is certainly a step forward from the situation we're in now", said Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák. On Monday the EU foreign affairs ministers Okayed the launch of the first phase of the operation, which seeks to monitor the situation in international waters and exchange intelligence. The second and third phases are subject to the EU's receiving a legal foundation - that is, either an UN Security Council resolution or an invitation from a legitimate government of Libya, as the operations would take place in its territorial waters. The EU has obtained neither of these to date, but Lajčák said that efforts are afoot on both fronts. The cost of the first stage of the operation spanning two months is estimated at €11.82 million, with Slovakia contributing some €60,000.