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Rebellion? Eastern Europe ‘Starts Open Confrontation With Merkel'

© AFP 2023 / DPA/Bernd Von Jutrczenka Asylum seeker (C, L) takes a selfie picture with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C, R) following Merkel's visit at a branch of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and a camp for asylum-seekers in Berlin on September 10, 2015
Asylum seeker (C, L) takes a selfie picture with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C, R) following Merkel's visit at a branch of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and a camp for asylum-seekers in Berlin on September 10, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia have declared their willingness to block the so-called Balkan route to stop the influx of migrants to Europe, German magazine Spiegel Online reported.

According to Slovakian Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslav Lajcak, it is wrong to rely on Turkey to resolve the refugee problem.

"As long as there is no common European strategy [on the migration issue], attempts of the states at the Balkan route to protect their borders are legitimate," Lajcak said, cited by the magazine.

When it comes to Europe's problems, European states cannot rely on Turkey, the diplomat stated. Lajcak also questioned the effectiveness of the distribution of refugees between the EU countries.

"It has just become an additional stimulus for the migration," he said.

Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia are going to support Macedonia, who announced the closure of its border with Greece due to the ongoing inflow of refugees in order to block the so called Balkan route, the main itinerary used by refugees to reach Western Europe.

According to the article, in this way Eastern European states have "started an open confrontation" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the refugee issue.

Earlier, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that his country would close the borders for refugees, after receiving a quota of 37 thousand people. After that, Macedonia will have to stop the inflow of migrants. The foreign minister promised to assist Macedonia in the resolution of the problem and send the police and military forces to the country if necessary.

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