Hungarian foreign minister discusses migration, border protection with Montenegrin counterpart

Migration pressure in the Western Balkans has reached and “at times exceeded” the level seen in 2015, and Hungary is ready to stand by Montenegro in its fight against waves of illegal migration, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told MTI on Monday, after talks with Sdrjan Darmanovic, his Montenegrin counterpart.

“Alarming news” have come from Turkey and Greece, Szijjártó said, adding that “in some instances the situation in Greece seems to be worse than it was in 2015”. This time, the main route of illegal migration is running through Albania, Montenegro as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said.

Darmanovic said the Montenegrin government was ready to protect the country against illegal migration.

Szijjártó pledged help from Hungary, adding that police chiefs had already agreed to provide 25 kilometres of fence material for the most vulnerable stretch of the border between Montenegro and Albania.

Szijjártó said that it would constitute a high-risk security threat to Hungary if its borders with Croatia and Serbia were to become the first line of defence against a new wave of illegal migration. Hungary has a vested interest in the Western Balkan states being as stable and as committed as possible to protecting their own borders, he said.

Montenegro can count on Hungary’s firm support in its accession to the European Union as well as in border protection, Szijjártó said.

Hungarian policemen are serving along the Macedonian-Greek border, following border protection missions in Serbia and Slovenia, he said.

Later in the day, Szijjártó met House Speaker Ivan Brajovic, Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and President Milo Djukanovic.

Featured image: MTI

Source: MTI