Czech foreign minister says tackling ‘Balkans route’ a key priority

Czech foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek said on a visit to Macedonia on Wednesday that dealing with the so-called Balkans route for immigrants was a problem not just for local countries but was of key interest for the Czech Republic and the EU as a whole. The minister said his visit was not aimed at criticism of Macedonia for failing to stem the flow of immigrants northwards but to help find solutions. He highlighted the material and personnel help already offered by Prague, a contingent of Czech police are already helping their Macedonian colleagues. Zaorálek said it was too soon to say whether the Greek-Macedonian border would in future become the de facto border for immigrants seeking to enter the EU, a scenario floated given Greece’s difficulty dealing with the number of immigrants entering the country.

Author: Chris Johnstone