Press Advisories

20. 9. 2018 20:05

Premier Andrej Babiš discussed migration and Brexit with European statesmen in Salzburg

Premier Andrej Babiš discussed migration and Brexit with European statesmen in Salzburg, 20 September 2018.
Premier Andrej Babiš discussed migration and Brexit with European statesmen in Salzburg, 20 September 2018.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš participated in an informal EU summit in Salzburg on 19 and 20 September. Together with other leaders of the Member States, he discussed migration, internal security and the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

The informal summit was opened on Wednesday evening with a dinner that was dominated by the migration topic. In connection with the current situation in the Mediterranean, the Czech Premier refused that Member States should distribute migrants from the rescued boats among themselves. “We managed to get the quotas from the table already in June. I emphasised to my colleagues that it must at the discretion of each state to accept people to its territory. Now we must concentrate on making sure that the boats do not depart at all. I therefore supported the idea to organise a summit with the African states,” said Premier Andrej Babiš after the meeting.

The Czech Premier appealed to the European partners that the EU should focus more on helping the states in North Africa and building capacities to cope with the migration. According to him, the EU should focus also on supporting the countries of origin and the Member States in the South of Europe.

The Thursday meeting was dedicated to internal security and to enhancing police and judicial cooperation. The EU leaders talked not only about interconnecting the information systems but also about cyber security.

The discussion concluding the informal summit was held in the EU27 format. The main point of the discussion were the next steps of the EU in negotiating the Brexit. “The negotiations about an agreement are nearly in the final stage, but we have really little time, October will be key. The EU is united, the negotiator Michel Barnier has our full support. None of us wants the UK to leave without an agreement in March but we must be ready even for that option,” said the Czech Premier.

The EU leaders will meet again already next month at the European Council meeting in Brussels.

print article   email   facebook   twitter

Photo gallery

Photo Gallery