- Title: We must stop people smugglers, secure EU outer border - Merkel
- Date: 19th August 2019
- Summary: SOPRON, HUNGARY (AUGUST 19, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL AND HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (on MIGRANTS): "We differed and possibly still differ today on the issue of once people are here with the right to stay. Germany has its asylum laws and the Geneva refugee convention comes into effect. So these people get a right to stay. But we have to stop people smugglers because today a lot of times, the means are illegal, not legal. We must not support people smugglers whose business is at the expense of refugees. But our bilateral relations are such that we can openly address such issues." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (on MIGRANTS): "For example, we agree on the necessity of a common European border protection in order to keep Schengen going (EU open borders agreement). We need to better protect our outer border and this is best done by keeping up the discussion and making fair deals with countries in Africa, with Turkey, with Iraq and wherever refugees come from so that everyone can profit and people can stay in their home countries." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (on BREXIT): "We discussed Great Britain's departure which we accept as a reality. Of course I regret it but such is the case. But of course we want the best possible relations with Great Britain in the future." MERKEL ON MOBILE PHONE DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (on 1989 PAN-EUROPEAN PICNIC): "We can not acknowledge this event enough. World history was written because it was one decisive element towards the fall of the Berlin Wall and it was one decisive element towards the reunification of Europe. The fact that Hungary has been a member of the European Union for 15 years also has to do with that event." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (on 1989 PAN-EUROPEAN PICNIC): "I would like to thank the people of Hungary one more time from the bottom of my heart, on the eve of Hungary's National Day, for the courage they had at the time. Germany will not forget this." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING (ASKED IN WHAT SITUATION SHE GETS INNER FORCE WHEN THINKING ABOUT EVENTS IN 1989): "As you know we sometimes have very long, tenacious negotiations at EU summits which last many, many hours and this will to find a solution and the confidence to find a solution is also based on what I have experienced in 1989 and 1990. It definitely shaped me a lot." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS MERKEL AND ORBAN SHAKING HANDS, SMILING
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2019 13:09
- Keywords: German Chancellor Merkel Hungarian Prime Minister Orban migrants Brexit Iron Curtain Berlin Wall reunification
- Location: SOPRON, HUNGARY
- City: SOPRON, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASVTWEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she agreed with Hungary on "the necessity of a common European border protection" to keep the so called Schengen EU open borders agreement alive and that the union's outer border needed better protection.
Speaking at an event on the Hungarian-Austrian border to mark the 30th anniversary since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Merkel said that while she still differed with Hungary's Premier Viktor Orban on how to handle migrants who are in Europe with a right to stay, people smugglers had to be stopped.
During a visit to Berlin in January, Orban said no compromise was possible with Germany over migration despite what he called "constant pressure" from Berlin on his government to take in immigrants.
Merkel said she and Orban also discussed Brexit during their meeting and that Germany wanted the "best possible" relations with Britain once it leaves the EU.
On a personal note, Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany said events in 1989 and 1990 marked her so much that she still takes force from them during "very long, tenacious negotiations at EU summits."
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