Czech to reject EU refugee quotas again: FM

The Czech Republic will reject again the automatic mechanism for redistributing asylum seekers across the European Union at the upcoming European Council meeting, Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said on Wednesday.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka will attend the two-day meeting, which will start on Thursday in Brussels.

Czech would advocate the principle of effective solidarity, which means that each country would contribute according to its capabilities, Zaoralek said.

He said the European Union should not assess its member countries only based on how many refugees they accept.

It is hard to strike an agreement on the common European asylum system, he said.

Zaoralek also said European leaders will assess cooperation with third countries, such as Ethiopia, Jordan, Libya and Senegal, in migration affairs.

They could also discuss the deals that will reduce the number of refugees heading for Europe, he said. Endit