Slovak and Croatian Interior Ministers Discuss Migration Challenges

Zagreb/Bratislava, 1 July (TASR) – President Peter Pellegrini was accompanied by Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok during his official visit to Croatia on Tuesday. As part of the visit, Minister Sutaj Estok held bilateral talks with his Croatian counterpart, Davor Bozinovic, TASR learnt from the Interior Ministry's press department. The two ministers agreed that strong and effective police cooperation remains the cornerstone of bilateral collaboration in the area of national security. Another important item of the talks was migration. The Slovak Interior Minister highlighted the longstanding involvement of Slovak police officers in Croatian tourist regions during the summer season. „This year marks the 18th time our police officers are participating in the ‘Croatia – Safe Tourist Destination’ project. During the last tourist season, Slovak officers assisted tourists in over 300 cases both along the coast and inland. Thanks to their professionalism and reliability, these joint patrols have earned the strong trust of Slovak holidaymakers,” Sutaj Estok emphasized. On the issue of migration, both ministers stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of migration. They agreed that it is essential to firm up cooperation with countries of origin and transit states. The ministry noted that Slovak and Hungarian efforts along the Slovak-Hungarian and Hungarian-Serbian borders have helped reduce migration along that route. However, these actions have led to increased pressure on the Croatian-Bosnian border. In this context, Sutaj Estok expressed Slovakia’s support for Croatia, stating that the deployment of joint patrols and especially the strengthening of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) presence could help ease pressure on the EU’s external Schengen borders. He also reiterated Slovakia’s longstanding position on the need to improve the efficiency of return and re-admission policies. mf/mcs