Hradec Kralove, East Bohemia, Sept 24 (CTK) – The Czech Republic is prepared to participate in the formation of a possible joint European guard to protect the outer Schengen border, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) told reporters Thursday.
The idea of a joint border guard was discussed at the EU leaders’ summit on migration challenges in Brussels on Wednesday, Sobotka said during his visit to the University of Hradec Kralove.
“I supported the idea of a joint border guard at the meeting yesterday. And I was not alone,” Sobotka said.
The Czech Republic would be able to send soldiers or police to the joint guard, he added.
However, it is up to the European Commission (EC) to submit particular proposals in this respect, he added.
Sobotka said he considered an EU border guard an important matter.
“It has turned up that a number of countries are either not willing to or not able to secure the protection of the Schengen external border and a joint European border protection service would be useful,” Sobotka noted.
He said he was personally not convinced that Greece would be capable of managing the Schengen border protection.
