EU Council Head Calls for Stricter External Border Control

European Council President Donald Tusk has said Europe needs to work out ways to achieve a more effective control on its external borders.

"We have to guarantee in practice and politically that the Western Balkans route for illegal migrants is closed forever," Austrian daily Die Presse quotes Tusk as saying.

Tusk's remarks have opened a meeting of Balkan countries with Germany, Austria and Hungary, initiated by the government in Vienna.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has said that the current pace of discussions among Central and Southeast European countries, which have different approaches to the issue, is not satisfactory.

He has added the problem can be dealt in the best possible way if ways to enforce border controls and provide assistance back in protection seekers' countries of origin.

EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has warned for his part that the EU needs to find solutions for the much discussed resettlement of migrants from Greece to take part, with only 4140 of the 66 000 having been relocated. The latter figure refers to the number Brussels took on the commitment to relocated from Grece after the influx into the country peaked last summer.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is also attending the conference.