On Friday, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told television channel TV2 that it is in the best interest of everybody for us to be able to stop the flow of illegal migrants at the border between Turkey and Greece.

The Government Spokesperson said that the total of 300 border patrol and police officers offered by the Visegrád countries to be sent to Greece will effectively participate in the protection of the borders. He added that the key question is whether the EU’s “frontline countries” have the will to manage the situation. Talking about Greece, Mr. Kovács said that from Hungary’s perspective “this is the real problem”.

Mr. Kovács added that it is inconceivable that Central European countries “should be disadvantaged because of a task which another state has neglected to carry out”. In another television interview on public channel M1, Mr. Kovács stressed the importance of the protection of borders and the re-establishment of legality. He emphasised that the three other member states of the Visegrád Group “provide an example of where and how European solidarity can be articulated”. He also said that at the moment we do not see a message being sent that could prevent potential migrants from setting off.

In an interview with public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió, Mr. Kovács noted that “we are causing an indefinite number of problems by not sending the message from Europe that what is happening now must be stopped”, as it is unacceptable and brings with it significant risks.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)