ZAGREB, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Following the European Union's (EU) decision on Thursday to endorse Croatia's accession to the Schengen visa-free travel area, 73 border crossings with EU neighbors Slovenia and Hungary will be abolished, a senior official said here on Friday.
"The controls that currently exist at the internal borders are being abolished," Croatia's General Police Director Nikola Milina told local RTL TV.
Nonetheless, even after Croatia enters the Schengen area, border controls may be temporarily reintroduced if the country's security so requires, he said.
Milina said that there will be no stricter controls at the country's borders with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
"We have been applying strict rules since joining the EU, and now we have the capacity to guard the external borders of the Schengen area," he said.
From March 26 next year, border controls will also be abolished at the country's airports.
On Thursday, Croatia received unanimous backing from the EU member states to become the 27th member of the Schengen area on Jan. 1, 2023. ■
