SARAJEVO – Austria does not want to simply close its borders and leave the Western Balkan states to deal with the refugee issue on their own, but rather to find a common solution to the problem, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said in Sarajevo on Monday.
At a press conference with Foreign Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina Igor Crnadak, he said that if Austria just closed the borders, the Western Balkans would be overwhelmed by refugees.
BiH is not being hit by the tide of refugees, but it would like to help overcome the crisis, Crnadak said, adding that Sarajevo was willing to assist and take on the responsibility.
During the conference, Kurz and Minister of Civil Affairs Adil Osmanovic signed a bilateral agreement on scientific and technical cooperation to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina.