Macron says migration crises show need to strengthen EU's borders

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during a press conference on France assuming EU presidency, in Paris, France, December 9, 2021. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that reinforcing the European Union's sovereignty, and notably its borders, would be France's main priority during its presidency of the bloc, which starts on Jan.1.

France takes on the rotating six-month presidency as Belarus stands accused of engineering a refugee crisis by flying migrants in the Middle East and pushing them to attempt to illegally cross its borders into EU states Poland and Lithuania.