Austria must "assume its
responsibilities" if it decides to close the Brenner Pass,
Foreign Minister Enrico Moavero Milanesi said Tuesday.
"The European Council affirmed that immigration is a European
issue and we need a shared effort," he said.
""If this is the spirit, we should enter a phase of
cooperation.
"But the Austrian decision to close the Brenner would be
against this spirit and so whoever put into practice would have
to assume responsibility for it".
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Tuesday warned that
there will be a chain reaction if German closes its borders to
stop the flow of asylum seekers.
"I cannot anticipate what will happen in the coming weeks,"
Kurz said in Strasbourg.
"It depends on what happens in Germany. If Berlin introduces
national measures, which would have a chain reaction, it could
mean that Austria would have to react too.
"Our ambition in the long term is to have a Europe without
internal borders, and that will be possible in the medium and
long term.
"It depends on what Germany does for the short term".
Kurz said Vienna had solid relations with the Italian
government.
"With Italy we have solid relations and we respect the
decision of the (migrant) quotas in all member countries and as
Chancellor I have always sought to have good contacts with all
neighbouring countries, but also with all EU partners," he said.
"But naturally as (EU) duty president it is necessary to
cooperate with all the governments and heads of State and
government of the EU".
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