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Minister Blanár met with Sikorski in Warsaw and discussed migration at the Frontex headquarters

by AI | 14.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Juraj Blanár negotiated in Warsaw with the head of Polish diplomacy, Radoslaw Sikorski, and talked about migration in the EU at the Frontex headquarters.

The Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanár held talks in Warsaw with the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. PHOTO: TASR

Warsaw/Bratislava – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Juraj Blanár met in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski and also discussed with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and the Polish government’s plenipotentiary for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Pawel Kowal. As part of his working trip, Blanár also visited the Warsaw headquarters of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). This was reported by the Warsaw correspondent of TASR.

Poland is the third most important partner for Slovakia from a business perspective, and Slovak investors are interested in the Polish market, Minister Blanár said at a press conference after meeting with Sikorski. Both ministers also focused on strengthening cross-border cooperation, reviewing joint treaties, cross-border healthcare cooperation, and the situation in Ukraine.

At the Frontex headquarters, Blanár discussed the challenges of illegal migration and the possibilities for cooperation in solutions at the level of the European Union, as well as individual member states, with Aija Kalnaja, the Deputy Executive Director for Capabilities.

The largest EU agency supports countries in managing the Union’s external borders and combating cross-border crime. “Even in countries where it was unimaginable in the past, they now agree with us and acknowledge that it is a big problem. This is also evidenced by the introduced controls on the EU’s internal borders, which disrupts the fundamental principle of free movement in the Schengen area. It’s one of the important benefits that the Union brings to the lives of our people,” the minister said.

Blanár and Kalnaja agreed that illegal migration is not a problem that arises at European borders, but far beyond them.

“The Slovak Republic has long and consistently stated that the Migration Pact is not a solution in this regard. Besides protecting the Schengen borders, a thorough return policy, and other measures, it is necessary to focus on third countries and direct attention and assistance to this area,” Blanár added.

According to him, Slovakia is actively involved in Frontex’s operational activities and deploys its police officers to support joint operations. The priority for the Slovak Republic in 2024 was the Balkan area – Serbia, Romania, and Greece. (March 14)

“The Slovak Republic has long and consistently stated that the Migration Pact is not a solution in this regard. Besides protecting the Schengen borders, a thorough return policy, and other measures, it is necessary to focus on third countries and direct attention and assistance to this area.” Juraj Blanár.