Prague, Feb 24 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and his Saxony counterpart Stanislaw Tillich agreed on the need to reduce the stream of refugees heading for Europe and find a joint European solution to the migrant crisis at their meeting in Prague on Wednesday.
The debate also focused on the transport connection between the Czech Republic and Saxony and digitisation of industry.
“Naturally, we could not but touch on the migration issue. We agreed that a joint European approach is needed that would result in an effective regulation of the strong migrant pressure,” Sobotka told a press conference after the meeting.
He said it is important to place emphasis on quick measures aimed to reinforce the external Schengen border.
In case the efforts to reduce the number of refugees streaming from Turkey to Greece failed, Prague and its Visegrad Four (V4) allies propose the introduction of the Plan B, i.e. the closure of the West Balkans migration route and a consistent protection of the Greek-Macedonian and Greek-Bulgarian borders.
Apart from the Czech Republic, the V4 includes Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
The above plan promoted by the V4 has been opposed by some EU politicians including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Tillich, who is a member of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), conveyed Merkel’s greeting to his partners in Prague.
At present, the EU needs cohesion as well as the preservation of freedom and democracy, Tillich said.
Tillich, who also heads the upper house of German parliament, on Wednesday expressed himself for a more consistent monitoring of extremist activities on the Internet.
Mass protests against migration and lash-outs at refugees have appeared in Saxony in recent months.
A demonstration of the anti-migrant Pegida movement, established in Saxony, was held in Prague for the first time earlier this month.
