According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, it would be possible to stop illegal immigration across the Mediterranean Sea, but this requires implementation of the appropriate measures.

Mr. Szijjártó commented on this in reply to a question at a press conference on another topic held in Budapest on Monday, with relation to the statement by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, according to which the Mediterranean migration route must be closed off, and all necessary preparations have been performed at the Brenner Pass along the Austrian-Italian border to enable the protection of that stretch of the border.

“Huge attacks have now suddenly been launched against Sebastian Kurz by international public opinion” and in Austria, Mr. Szijjártó said. “The Austrian Foreign Minister has only recently begun putting forward his stance on stopping illegal migration more determinedly”, he pointed out.

Mr. Szijjártó said that in his opinion his Austrian colleague was correct when he stated that illegal immigration via the Mediterranean can indeed be stopped, and the required measures must finally be put in place.

“We should embrace the earlier joint initiative by the German and Italian interior ministers according to which the EU must contribute to protecting Libya’s southern border and establish hot-spots for deciding who has the right to enter Europe, in addition to which rubber dinghies must be prevented from setting out from Libya”, he explained.

“Protecting its own country and people is the primary task of all countries and governments, and if the Austrian Foreign Minister says that protecting the security of the Austrian people is his primary concern, then that is totally understandable”, Mr, Szijjártó stressed.

“Foreign Minister Kurz has my full solidarity and support”, he declared.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)