Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic plays the importance of the new regulations starting tomorrow, Saturday border controls to your country. “These are all measures of a temporary nature,” Plenković said on Friday after a meeting with the Chancellor Carlos Nehammer (ÖVP) in Vienna. He described the border closure as a result of “Italy’s measures” which led “Slovenia also to follow suit”.
Croatia It was at the beginning of the year Schengen Area joined while Bulgaria It is Romania we still have to wait for accession to Schengen due to the Austrian veto. At that time, Nehammer had argued against the comparatively low migration flows through Croatia to Austria. The Chancellor defended this position on Friday and emphasized that the number of Croatian detentions in Austria has “dramatically decreased”.
➤ Survey: Majority for border controls – especially with Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia
According to Nehammer, migratory flows have “drastically decreased”
Current border closures are the result of bilateral measures, most recently by Germany. This also forced Austria to “expand” border controls, the chancellor said, referring to measures that have been in place at the Czech border since this week.
As far as Italy is concerned, Austria apparently does not currently have corresponding intentions. “So far there are no reports that migratory pressure across the Italian border is increasing,” Nehammer said in response to an APA question. Migration flows to Austria “would continue to go from east to west”, with the numbers “pointing in the right direction”. They have “decreased dramatically.”
➤ Read more: Does Schengen still exist?
Plenković wants to keep Croatia’s borders with Hungary open for now
Plenković emphasized that his country has made “maximum efforts to prevent irregular migration”. Croatia has 6,700 border police, more than any other country. At the same time, he passed the ball to Greece and Bulgaria. That’s where it starts Balkan Route. Countries in the region would also have to coordinate their visa policies with those of the EU. At the moment it is possible to enter as a tourist without a visa and then have “easy entry almost into the heart of Europe” with smugglers, he criticized.
Plenković wants to keep Croatia’s borders with Hungary open for now. “There is no data that migrants come from Hungary to Croatia.” Therefore, controls are not necessary.
Government heads see progress in liquefied gas terminal expansion
Nehammer received his Croatian guest with military honors in front of the Federal Chancellery on Friday evening. At the joint press conference, the two highlighted their personal friendship and that of the two countries. Plenković also mentioned the ethnic group of Burgenland Croats. “We are pleased that their status is good, that they are an important part of society in Austria,” he said. The 130,000 Croats and Austrians of Croatian descent are also “an important link in our relations”.
The two heads of government were also pleased with the progress made in expanding the Liquefied gas terminalis on the Croatian island in the Adriatic Krk. It is a “good initiative that is making constant progress”, said the Chancellor, highlighting in particular the “agreement” recently reached with the necessary transit country, Slovenia.
➤ Read more: Croatia is positioning itself as a gas hub
Austria and Croatia reach agreement on Ukraine and Middle East issues
Austria has managed to develop new capabilities in the gas sector. As a landlocked country, we need adequate infrastructure so that the liquefied gas transported by ships “can reach us,” said Nehammer. “We will build the gas pipelines so that they can also be used for hydrogen in the future”, emphasized Plenkovic. He stated that the period for the planned massive expansion of terminal capacities to supply Austria and Germany would be a year and a half and that the project would be financed with money from the EU development fund.
Plenković reported that international issues were also raised during the conversation. Regarding EU expansion into the Western Balkans, Austria and Croatia are also united on the issues of Ukraine and the Middle East. Vienna and Zagreb support Israel’s right to self-defense, but also emphasize respect for international law and humanitarian law, the former MEP said. It is important to avoid a “forest fire” because this could also trigger waves of migration towards Europe. In the afternoon, Plenković was also supposed to visit the parliament and be present with the President of the National Council Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP).