Fico: Serbia protected Hungary, Slovakia and entire EU from illegal migration

KOMARNO - Slovak PM Robert Fico said on Tuesday steps taken by Serbia had protected Hungary, Slovakia and the entire EU from illegal migration, and expressed full support for Serbia's EU accession ambitions.

Speaking to reporters after a trilateral meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban in Komarno, Slovakia, Fico thanked Vucic for Serbia's fight against illegal migration.

"Those are the anti-measures that have, to a great extent, enabled the EU to contain migration flows because what Serbia was undertaking was not for the benefit of Serbia - those were steps that protected Slovakia, Hungary and the entire EU," he said.

"The entire EU should be grateful to you for the enthusiasm and the energy you have devoted to illegal migration," Fico told Vucic.

Fico expressed support for Serbia's ambition to join the EU as soon as possible and noted that he could not imagine Serbia being overtaken by anyone on the EU accession path.