Migrant crisis to dominate Austrian minister's Balkans tour

Migrant crisis to dominate Austrian minister's Balkans tour

"I have an intensive week ahead, during which I will visit the six Western Balkan countries," the Austrian foreign minister said in a video message posted on Facebook ahead of his take-off from Vienna.

The current refugee crisis will be the main topic of the Balkans tour, he said, adding that Austria's goal is to not wait on Greece, but rather find a solution with Macedonia to stop refugees at the Macedonian-Greek border.

According to Kurz, this will not spare Austria from taking its own national measures so as to stem the tide of refugees.

"The talks with officials of all six countries of the Western Balkans will also deal with their EU integration and reform agendas," he noted.

"Reliable partner"

Austria will remain a reliable partner to Serbia and the region, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said ahead of his visit to Belgrade as part of his Balkans tour.

The aim of the visit is to build up excellent relations in the entire region, Kurz told Tanjug.

"We have worked together with our partners in each country to draft an action plan that will serve as a basis for cooperation over the course of this year and cover all important topics, from support for EU integration to measures in the field of migration," he explained.

Kurz noted he is traveling to the Balkans with a clear message - Austria will remain a strong partner to all countries in the region and will advocate for this part of Europe at the EU level.

This is particularly true for Serbia. Our joint action plans offer a solid basis for expanding the excellent cooperation even further, he said.