Croatian, Austrian foreign ministers talk migrants, bilateral relations

(Hina) - A negligible number of migrants is arriving in Europe along the Balkan route which was closed a year ago, but a big problem is the Mediterranean, where the number of migrants has markedly increased, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said

(Hina) - A negligible number of migrants is arriving in Europe along the Balkan route which was closed a year ago, but a big problem is the Mediterranean, where the number of migrants has markedly increased, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said in Vienna on Tuesday after talks with his Croatian counterpart Davor Ivo Stier.

"We can be happy that we managed to close the Balkan route. At the beginning of 2016, we had 15,000 people coming by that route daily. After it was closed, we managed to reduce the number to less than 1,000. I think that's a big success but we must continue to fight against smugglers and human trafficking so as to further decrease the number of the people arriving," Kurz said in a joint statement to the press.

"The key problem now is the Mediterranean, the Italian route. There we have 20% more people arriving than before. The numbers are rising on that route and I think we must change the policy there," Kurz said.

Anyone who arrives illegally must be stopped on the external EU border and sent back, he added.

If Europe wants to exist without internal borders, it must control the external borders, and the best way to control the border is to have police and military control and technical equipment, Kurz said.

Stier said the mechanism of cooperation with the states on the Balkan route established before it was closed should not only be maintained but advanced. "I think that's extremely important for the Balkan route to stay closed."

Speaking of Austrian-Croatian relations, the two ministers said the two countries had a lot in common.

Stier mentioned the developed economic relations, the increasing number of Austrian tourists coming to Croatia, and the Burgenland Croats and the Croatian emigrants in Austria, saying they were an excellent bridge between the two states.

Kurz said economic cooperation was excellent, with Austria as the second biggest investor in Croatia, and that cultural ties were strong. He also mentioned the big Croatian community in Austria.

In order to further advance relations, the two countries tasked the state secretaries with the development of economic relations. On the security front, the two countries will sign an agreement on the protection of secret data.

"I'm glad we can project our excellent bilateral cooperation in joint projects in Southeast Europe," Stier said.

In the evening, he and Kurz attended the official opening of the year of cultural cooperation between Croatia and Austria at the "Porgy and Bess" jazz club in Vienna.

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