Bulgaria 'Did Its Job' on Migrant Crisis - Serbian PM

Bulgaria did its job with regard to the inflow of migrants on the Turkish border, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said at a media conference on Monday.

But he first gave credit the effort of joint patrols along the Serbian-Bulgarian border that also include Slovak, Czech and Hungarian officers.

Vucic was asked by Novinite whether it was the recently European Border and Coast Guard or the joint patrols that had contributed to a decrease in the number of migrants arriving at the common border.

"Double less migrants cross the border because of the joint patrols," he admitted.
He once more stressed that Serbia's policy on the migrant crisis leaves out "making fences and walls."

Serbia's Prime Minister was the opening speaker of the X South East Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) in Belgrade that continues through Tuesday.

Asked by Novinite whether his country, which aspires to be an EU member, professed a more integrationist vision of the bloc like France or one centered around national positions like Hungary, he said Serbia would seek to combine both.

While stressing Europe was financially helpful to Serbia, pointing to funds allocated to the response to 2014's deadly floods, Vucic made it clear that was not the case with regard to the migrant crisis.

"If the EU wants Serbia to close the borders, we will do it... but there is still no comprehensive EU solution," he said.