Slovenia, Austria urge instant action over refugee crisis

Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar and his visiting Austrian counterpart Werner Faymann called for a prompt solution to the escalating refugee crisis at the EU level as they met over the issue in Ljubljana on Thursday.

"The problem (refugee crisis) should start to be tackled at its roots, including by financing refugee camps in Syria's neighbors," Faymann emphasised at a joint press conference after the talks.

Cerar underscored Slovenia's commitment to protect the external border of the Schengen visa-free area, saying "We are bound by the rules, which we intend to abide by consistently, this is our commitment."

Faymann made a repeated call for an emergency EU summit and immediate action to deal with the crisis, saying "This is a time we must prove we don't want a Europe in which everyone will try to shift their problems onto the others' shoulders."

The Austrian chancellor stopped in Ljubljana after meeting Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb earlier Thursday. The visits came as the flow of refugees headed for Croatia after Hungary closed its border with Serbia on Tuesday. Endit