Focus Europa-Forum Wachau on key issues for EU future: security, migration, enlargement, budget, and Brexit

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz on Saturday held talks on the protection of the European Union's external borders, and on that occasion Plenkovic called for a comprehensible approach to the issue of migrations that will tackle the problem at its source and that will help Greece, Italy, Malta that are carrying a huge burden of the migrant crisis, the Croatian government stated in a press release.

"It is important to have an all-inclusive approach that will address the problem at its source, providing assistance, first of all, to Greece, Italy, and Malta, the countries that are the first in contact with central Mediterranean or east Mediterranean routes," Plenkovic told the press after meeting Chancellor Kurz on the margins of a European Forum conference in Wachau.

"Croatia protects its borders in a quality way, we have invested a lot in technical infrastructure and we have absorbed funds from the EU financial envelope for that purpose very well. More than 6,000 Croatian police officers are engaged in protection of the frontier. It is our duty to equip and train them well so that they can safeguard Croatia against illegal migrations," Plenkovic said.

He believes that the relations between Turkey and the European Union are crucial for the control of the pace of migrations trends.

After the talks Austrian Chancellor Kurz, Croatian PM Plenkovic attended the Europa-Forum in Wachau, together with prime ministers, Ana Brnabic of Serbia and Dusko Markovic of Montenegro.

The focus of the forum was put on challenges facing the safety and security of the Contitent an the fight against illegal migrations.

Recalling that Croatia will chair the EU in the first half of 2020, Plenkovic said that it was necessary to make sure that priorities would be directed towards the same goal, an one of them is the resumption of the enlargement of the Union and cooperation with the countries in the EU's neighbourhood.

Commenting on the EU's future, the Croatian premier underscored the importance of the reforming of the Dublin Regulation, which is the EU law about the responsibility of EU member states in examining applications for asylum seekers seeking international protection under the Geneva Convention.

"We must strike a good balance between the joint responsibility, European solidarity and real capacities of each of the countries. Croatia complies with its obligations. We respect our national legislation, European laws and international conventions and at the same time send out a message of solidarity and human rights' protection," he said.

On Friday, the Croatian premier attended an event organised by the Kleine Zeitung newspaper in Pogusch, and in attendance were the top Austrian officials, including President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Kurz as well as distinguished Austrian business people, academicians and artists.

Text: Hina

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