"Romania is maintaining its standpoint on rejecting the compulsory quota system for the distribution of migrants”, Minister of State for EU Affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office Szabolcs Takács told Hungarian news agency MTI after meeting with Leonard Orban, advisor on EU affairs to Romania President Klaus Iohannis, in Bucharest on Thursday.

“There are many European issues in which the interests of the two countries coincide”, Mr. Takács said following the meeting. “It transpired at the meeting that neither Romania nor Hungary think the quota system is a good idea, in addition to which both parties are willing to contribute to better protecting the external borders of the European Union”, he stressed. “Both Romania and Hungary are prepared to contribute to reinforcing the European Union’s border agency (Frontex), which is charged with guaranteeing the protection of external borders”, the Minister of State said.

The two countries also agree that the European Council should not make a decision on a permanent distribution mechanism for migrants at this time. “In our view, the time has not yet come for such a decision; we should be discussing how we can protect Europe while providing international aid to those who really need it and are true refugees”, Mr. Takács said.

It is hoped that a consensus will be reached on how to handle the migration crisis at its source at next week’s EU summit, he added. “Hungarian and Romanian interests and our standpoints are also very similar with relation to this issue”, the Minister of State said.

The other main topic of the meeting concerned the fact it is against the interests of both countries that consultations between the 19 eurozone countries increasingly include questions, such as social issues, which previously fell under the sphere of competence of the European Council. The Minister of State said he and his negotiating partner had agreed that if such practice becomes the norm it may risk Europe splitting in two, into eurozone and non-eurozone states.

(Prime Minister's Office)