European Parliament president praises Portugal's stance on refugees

European Parliament President Martin Schulz praised Portugal on Friday for welcoming refugees to the country.

"(Prime Minister) Antonio Costa and I share more or less the same points in the necessary strategy to guarantee a more fair approach to social justice," he said, highlighting the country's strong commitment to receiving asylum-seekers.

During a visit to a refugee center in Bobadela, around 13 km from Lisbon, Schulz also criticized member states of the EU which have rejected refugees.

Schulz arrived in Lisbon on Friday to meet with Portuguese officials. This morning he met with Parliament President Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, followed by Prime Minister Antonio Costa at the prime minister's official residence in Sao Bento, in the Portuguese capital.

Schulz also highlighted during a joint press conference that the European Institutions were trying hard to stabilize the European Union.

"Jean-Claude Juncker is trying everything possible to find solutions, given the difficult situation which the member states and the EU finds itself in," Schulz said, adding that cooperation between Portugal and the European Commission had been constructive in past months.

He also said that he hoped solutions would be found to avoid Portugal having to include additional measures in its state budget, after its deficit breach last year.

Schulz this evening will be having dinner with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at the Cidadela palace in Cascais, before meeting with former prime minister and leader of the Social Democrat Party Pedro Passos Coelho.

Schulz visited Lisbon last January on invitation by Costa, to participate in a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of accession of Portugal to the European Communities, which he had said had been an "enormous success." Endit