State secretary for EU affairs has talks with Austria EU minister

Szabolcs Takács, state secretary in charge of EU affairs, met Gernot Bluemel, Austria’s minister for EU, culture, art, and media, for talks in Vienna on Wednesday, he told MTI by phone.

At the talks, Takács urged that the EU should offer an integration plan to countries of the Balkan region, primarily to Serbia and Montenegro, at the EU summit in Sofia in May. He said it was crucial that the region should be stable both in security and economic terms.

Concerning protection of the Schengen borders, Takács noted that Hungary fulfils its obligations concerning control of the community’s external borders, but “in the long run cannot accept border control within the Schengen area”.

Takács also said that the Hungarian government would escalate its dispute with Austria over family benefits to European forums. He insisted that Hungarians working in Austria pay social security contributions in that country, which entitles them to the same benefits as Austrian employees.

Source: MTI