Foreign minister: External EU borders must be protected if Schengen zone is to survive

The external borders of the European Union must be protected if the Schengen zone is to survive, the Hungarian foreign minister has said.

Péter Szijjárto told MTI on Sunday that protecting the external borders is also an economic issue, not just a security matter. He noted that predictable freight transport means that European member states do not have to spend a lot on warehousing, which gives the EU a competitive edge globally.

In the ongoing EU debate over migration, the view that prizes protection of the bloc’s external borders is ascendant, he said, adding that Hungary has demanded this for years.

Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz is an important ally of Hungary’s in this regard, Szijjártó said,

adding that Austria has provided support for border protection to Hungary and countries in the western Balkans.

“The election campaign in Austria is very important to Hungary; we could see another important ally come to power with the election of the People’s Party,” he said. The more decision-makers like Kurz the better when it comes to effectively defending the external borders, Szijjártó said.

Featured image: Wiki Commons By Pan Peter12

Source: MTI