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PM Orbán: Italy must be helped to protect its borders

PM Orbán suggested that to help Italy tackle migrants arriving from Africa, the establishment of a fund similar to the one previously set up for Turkey, where EU member states would contribute in a similar ratio, would be one solution

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that “Italy must be helped to protect its borders”.

PM Orbán made the remarks during a recent visit to Brussels where he met with the prime ministers of the Visegrád Group (V4) and Jean-Claude Juncker for a working dinner. 

The prime minister made several proposals for handling the migrant crisis, and took part in the European People’s Party and European Council summits on Thursday.

PM Orbán suggested that to help Italy tackle migrants arriving from Africa, the establishment of a fund similar to the one previously set up for Turkey, where EU member states would contribute in a similar ratio, would be one solution.

“And Rome could rely on this budget to continue its efforts to stop the wave of migration from North Africa. Italy must ben given support so that it can protect its own borders and those of Europe," the prime minister said.

PM Orbán also stressed that Turkey-EU relations and the European integration of the Balkan region are interrelated issues, and for this reason he once again called for Serbia and Montenegro to be granted membership in the European Union.