Hungary's rail crossings with Croatia to be reopened

Hungarian and Croatian interior ministers Sandor Pinter and Vlaho Orepic announced jointly here on Monday that three rail crossings between the two countries that were closed in February would be reopened on Monday.

Both officials, speaking at a Budapest news conference, said the re-opening of the rail crossing points signified an improvement in internal relations between the two countries.

Orepic said the decision had followed constructive talks that were opening a new chapter in ties between the two nations while tightening European security at the same time. Croatia sees Hungary as a partner in managing the migrant crisis, he added.

Pinter noted there had been years of close cooperation between the police forces of the two countries, and while the migrant crisis had temporarily interrupted their joint efforts, this were now being restored through current negotiations.

The rail crossings had been used extensively by migrants as illegal crossing points between the two countries after Hungary erected fences at all other points along the common border which led to the strained relationship.

The rail crossings now being reopened are between the towns of Murakeresztur and Kotoriba, Gyekenyes and Koprivnica, and Magyarboly and Beli Manastir.

Roughly 391,000 migrants entered Hungary illegally in 2015, of whom more than 185,000 crossed into Hungary from Croatia. Hungary fenced off its borders in September-October, and the only points remaining open were those through which the railroads came, leading to the rail closure. Endit