Africa is one of the main departure points of migrants trying to enter Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, with an estimated 165,000 migrants embarking on the journey as of October 2014, according to United Nations records.
"Europe cannot react merely with emergency measures on its borders," Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni said in the statement published on Italy's Foreign Ministry website.
The ministers said that the structural causes of migration flows needed to be addressed, as well as the human rights violations and humanitarian emergencies experienced by the migrants during their journey and at the host country.
"As an initial measure, we will intensify our diplomatic efforts in this region in support of political stability. Efforts that include mediation in conflict resolution," the statement read, adding that the only solution was a long-term relationship with the migrants" countries of origin.
The commentary came following the 4th Euro-African Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development which took place in Rome on Thursday, attended by the interior ministers of 58 European and African countries.
The conference comes in light of several recent operations to rescue drowning migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean.
