BUDAPEST, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hungary and Austria are jointly protecting the external borders of the Schengen area and cooperating to curb illegal migration, Hungarian Minister of Interior Sandor Pinter said on Monday after talks with his Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner in Budapest.
Pinter said police cooperation between the two countries remains an important pillar of bilateral ties. Coordinated border controls, he noted, help prevent illegal migration routes from reopening in the region.
Karner said Austria and Hungary share core security objectives and are committed to keeping illegal migration at low levels.
During the meeting, the two ministers signed a supplementary agreement updating their 2014 border traffic arrangement, aimed at expanding border crossings and facilitating regional mobility.
