Šefic was responding to claims by Austria that only refugees planning to seek asylum in Germany would be allowed to pass through Austrian territory. He stressed that the countries involved would eventually reach a joint agreement. "We'll see how things stand once we reach an agreement. We will then act accordingly," said Šefic. He reiterated that the Austrian plan remains a viable option.

He underscored that Prime Minister Miro Cerar on Thursday urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to step up controls on the Greek-Macedonian border. Moreover, Šefic has held ongoing discussions with the German ambassador to Slovenia. He believes that "everybody is pursuing the same objective" and is confident that they will eventually reach a joint agreement and decide on a set of criteria that will determine their course of action.

What about the border with Croatia?
Šefic said it is up to the government whether Slovenia will step up controls on its border with Croatia. He added that if a joint agreement can be agreed, there will be no need for this, since Slovenia is already policing its border with Croatia sufficiently. "If we can't reach a satisfactory agreement, we'll have to react accordingly. The Slovenian government will have the final say in this matter," stressed Šefic. He added that he is unaware of any plans by the Slovenian government to build a fence along the entire border with Croatia.

Al. Ma.; translated by D. V.