At a Prague-held meeting, the Visegrad Group countries quickly withdrew from its radical stance on the quick construction of “a reserve border system” in Bulgaria and Macedonia with the purpose of stopping the refugee pressure from Greece. The conclusive document of the Group was quite diplomatic, as the formation admitted the danger from new red lines in Europe, while its wish was for a powerful EU. Perhaps Germany was the one that pushed for this withdrawal, as Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico claimed it had sharply raised the issue via diplomatic channels before the forum, asking how the Visegrad Group, Bulgaria and Macedonia dared discuss the EU external borders’ protection.

The idea for a reserve system for migration pressure protection still remains, but as a Plan B – in case the common EU measures against migration fail.

As expected, PM Boyko Borissov confirmed in Prague that Bulgaria disagreed with any fence along its border with Greece. The stance defended a day earlier in a conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel – on possible ceasing of migrant pressure via common EU measures only, was once again repeated. PM Borissov said that any partial strengthening of the control along the Bulgarian-Greek and Macedonian-Greek border wouldn’t solve the problem, but would result in changing migration routes only. That is why Sofia states that the urgent mid- and long-term issue is the effective control along the EU external borders – the land ones of Bulgaria and Greece with Turkey. Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said that Sofia would insist on a NATO operation along these borders, if its Greek-Turkish maritime border one proves successful. The Visegrad Group member-states also support the idea. At the same time, this would mean more NATO presence in the region and Russia does oppose that.

The Bulgarian delegation in Prague also insisted on the closure of all EU external borders and not only the ones with the EU, in order for migrants to be allowed legally across border checkpoints. That would mean complete registrations and clear separation of refugees from economic migrants. Sofia has been insisting on such an approach for a long time, in order for migration pressure to be ceased from countries with no war going on inside them, but having social and economic problems. In this relation, the Visegrad Four, Bulgaria and Macedonia said in Prague they wanted more tight cooperation between national border and intelligence services.

The “disobedient” Visegrad Group withdrew from some of its radical views in Prague in the name of the common EU policy, forming a stance which will be voiced to the public at the forthcoming Brussels migration issues summit on February 18-19. Another meeting will take place before that, on February 17 in Austria, with the participation of 11 countries, including Germany and France. Turkey will be represented there, as well. The intensity of the dialogue at all levels comes to show that the seriousness of the migrant crisis and the related issues are comprehended. At the same, it shows the lack of a common policy yet, aimed at the overcoming of the situation.