Salzburg Forum ministers discuss migration, security in Budapest

Members of the ministerial conference of the Salzburg Forum held in Budapest on Tuesday discussed issues around migration, border control and security.

The Salzburg Forum partnership was launched on an Austrian initiative in 2000 and its members are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Sándor Pintér, Hungary’s interior minister, told an international press conference that security had grown in the past two years but efforts must be made to maintain that level of security.

Participants agreed that protection of the external borders of the European Union should be strengthened, while data on migrants entering the bloc should be updated, monitored and shared among the forum’s partners without delay, Pintér said.

They agreed that the forum’s members would help each other if need be in border protection operations under the coordination of Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency. The participants also agreed to support dispatching Frontex units in Serbia and Macedonia, he said.

Pintér noted that the Austrian partner had put forward an action plan which members hope can be adopted under the forum’s upcoming Polish presidency.

Wilhelm Sandrisser of the Austrian interior ministry said they were proud of the forum’s achievements and expressed hope that their action plan would be implemented.

Jakub Skiba, the Polish interior ministry’s state secretary, said that although Poland is less exposed to illegal migration, the country is fully aware of the problems it has created. He said the forum’s members must prepare for a more intensive flow of migrants into Europe along the western-Balkan route.

Valentin Radev, Bulgaria’s interior minister, welcomed constructive talks during the conference. He said he expected the progress made at the conference to help Europe identify measures needed to eliminate illegal migration.