Croatia Opens Border Crossings with Serbia to All Traffic

Migrants board a train leaving to Hungary at Tovarnik town, Croatia, September 25, 2015. More and more migrants arrive in Croatia on alternative routes to enter the European Union.

Croatia's Interior Ministry has announced the Bajakovo and Tovarnik border crossing points into and out of Serbia are open "to all traffic, without any restrictions".

According to public broadcaster HRT, which cites government officials, vehicles have been moving both ways past the Bajakovo crossing regardless of their license plate number as of 17:00 local time (18:00 EEST).

Interior Minister Ranko Ostoji? has said "no restrictions" after pressure eased from migrants coming from the Serbian border, hundreds of migrants having also used the Horgos border crossing between Serbia and Hungary.

Tensions between Zagreb and Belgrade had been mounting for days after the introduction of mutual border restrictions amid an increased flow of migrants into Croatia.

Earlier on Friday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, while on a visit to Belgrade, praised Serbia's effort to tackle the migrant crisis but also called on both countries to reopen the border crossings, instead of "raising new" ones.

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