BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Better protection of European Union's (EU) external borders is needed "if we want a functioning Schengen area," Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Tuesday.
Karner made the remarks after a two-meeting in Slovenia attended by officials and representatives from Slovenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania, among others.
Slovenian Interior Minister Bostjan Poklukar said fighting migrant smuggling should be a joint priority. "We will not and should not allow criminal groups to determine who can enter the European Union."
At the meeting, interior ministers called for an improved control on the outer borders of the EU in order to enable the full functioning of the EU's Schengen area. ■
