Situation at restricted Hungarian-Austrian border crossing resolved: what about the others?

Hungary and Austria have settled the issue of a restricted border crossing between Rajka and Deutsch Jahrndorf (Németjárfalu) but have yet to find a solution in the case of two other border crossings, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Vienna on Friday.

A dual approach should be applied in connection with borders, Szijjártó said after talks with Karoline Edtstadler, Austria’s minister for European and constitutional affairs, according to a ministry statement.

The border should be closed to those who intend to cross it illegally, but the border crossing process should be speeded up and should be as unrestricted as possible in the case of those who, like commuters, want to cross in line with the rules, Szijjártó said.

This was why, he said, Austria’s decision to restrict traffic at three border crossings was “disappointing”.

He said the two countries had reached an agreement that will allow all residents of Hungary’s Győr-Moson-Sopron County to cross the border crossing between Rajka and Deutsch Jahrndorf.

But the problem at the crossing at Ágfalva has yet to be resolved, Szijjártó said, noting that the mayor on the Austrian side was only allowing pedestrians to cross. The situation is similar at the Fertorakos border crossing which is also closed or significantly restricted for motorists, the minister said.

It is especially problematic that the latter crossing point had been set up using European Union resources specifically so that it could function as an alternative border crossing to the one at Sopron, Szijjártó said.

“I have therefore asked Austria’s minister for integration who also oversees European resources to take steps to convince the province of Burgenland or the local council not to take steps that go against common European agreements,” Szijjártó said.