Szijjarto: EU ties to southern neighbours should rest on efforts to stop migration

The European Union's relations with its southern neighbours should be determined by efforts to stop migration, Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Szijjarto said northbound migration into the EU could be stopped only in close cooperation with countries in north Africa and the Middle East. He said that migration, besides presenting cultural and security threats, also presented a "very serious" health risk. "It is in Europe's security interest to stop migration. The discussion should focus on stopping rather than handling migration," Szijjarto said in a video on Facebook.