The four Visegrád countries and western Member States of the European Union continue to envisage different ways of resolving the refugee crisis.

“As regards the challenges facing the EU, I believe that we still wish to provide solutions in a different order”, Minister of Foreign Trade and Affairs Péter Szijjártó told Hungarian news agency MTI after Monday’s Prague meeting of the foreign ministers of the V4, Latvia and Luxembourg, which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union.

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The Hungarian Foreign Minister believes that if the European Union cannot regain control over the Schengen borders and is incapable of ensuring their defence, it will be unable to manage the challenge posed by the problem of migration.

“It is clear that the EU Presidency will not be placing this at the top its list of priorities tomorrow, but rather the quota system”, Mr. Szijjártó said. “In fact, if success was achieved today, it has been that we were able to meet and discuss our standpoints with each other,” the Minister added.

“It is clear that we have been unable to find a solution to the problem, but we have been trying to forge bridges in each other’s direction. The future will decide whether we have succeeded,” host Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek commented after the meeting. “The Visegrád Group is seeking a common position”, Mr. Zaorálek emphasised, “because we are convinced that the European Union needs to take strong, joint action.”

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Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn said “Luxembourg, which currently holds the European Union Presidency, will do everything within its power to bring about a common solution to the migration problem”. He acknowledged that the differences of opinion were still present following the Prague meeting.

“The purpose of today’s talks was not to find a solution. We analysed the various possibilities”, Mr. Asselborn declared, adding that he believes the Tuesday meeting of the European Union’s interior ministers would be decisive in solving the migration crisis.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)