Brussels, Oct 15 (CTK special correspondents) – The Czech Republic supports the idea of the formation of a European border guard that would help protect the outer Schengen border, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said before a EU summit meeting yesterday.
Either the powers of the Frontex agency could be extended or a different, specialised agency financed from the European budget could be created, Sobotka said.
The protection of the outer Schengen border needs to be reinforced, he said.
European Council President Donald Tusk said the establishment of a common border guard would be among the issues discussed at the meeting in Brussels.
Sobotka said Prague was ready to contribute to a fund in aid of refugees and their countries of origin.
He said he asked the foreign and finance ministries to seek financial sources for this purpose so that the Czech Republic could contribute this year already.
Sobotka said on Wednesday he might release the sum that the Czech Republic would sent to the EU trust fund in aid of Syrian refugees in the Middle East yesterday, if the issue is discussed at the summit meeting.
He said the Czech Republic is financing various programmes, such as support for particular refugee camps in Jordan.
A special EU summit meeting held last month decided that the EU member countries should contribute 500 million euros to the fund in aid of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. The European Commission has provided this sum, too. EC President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday 225 million euros from the member countries are still lacking.
