/ world today news/ Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka believes that closing the borders very quickly can reawaken old conflicts and cause new bloodshed in the Balkans.
“The wave of refugees has spilled over into the Balkans. The real solution is not to close the borders, because it can lead to new conflicts. The Balkans are the only part that is not yet integrated, and the memories of the wars there are very fresh. If Turkey, together with Greece, fails to bring migration pressure under control, then we must negotiate with Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania. Let us provide them with maximum assistance and put migration in order at their borders,” Sobotka told the newspaper “Respect”. According to him, in this way the EU exerted additional pressure on Greece and the authorities in Athens to start better cooperation with Turkey to control the wave of refugees.
Regarding the so-called Plan B, which envisages the creation of a protective wall on the southern border of Macedonia and Bulgaria, which will be discussed during the meeting of the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group in Prague on February 15. Sobotka said the following: “Preserving Schengen is not only in the interest of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, but also of Germany, France and the Netherlands. None of these countries have announced the introduction of measures that mean the demolition of Schengen. Most countries, including us, are increasing border controls, but no one wants to destroy Schengen,” he emphasized.
According to him, if Germany closes the borders, it will not be a direct threat to the Czech Republic and it will not become a transit country
“Austria will immediately close its borders, because Hungary already has a fence, and Slovakia is ready to tighten security measures, and so the migration flow will change. It will be partly stopped, but on the other hand it will be closed on the borders of individual Balkan countries,” Sobotka also said.
Prague / Czech Republic
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