President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has convened an extraordinary Leader’s Meeting of the countries concerned by the migration flows along the Western Balkan route for Sunday. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was also invited, whose attendance has been confirmed by his Press Chief Bertalan Havasi.
According to the Commission’s statement, the aim of the meeting in Brussels is to agree on common “operational conclusions” which could be immediately implemented.
Attending the Leaders' Meeting are the Heads of State or Government of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
The President of the European Council, the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have also been invited to attend this Leaders' Meeting. The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex) will also be represented.
“In view of the unfolding emergency in the countries along the Western Balkans migratory route, there is a need for much greater cooperation, more extensive consultation and immediate operational action”, the Commission’s statement reads.
The formal summits of EU Heads of State and Government are the meetings of the European Council, and it is the right and task of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, to convene it. Therefore the European Commission has officially named the Prime Ministers’ summit “Leader’s Summit”, as not all EU Heads of State and Government were invited, and Prime Ministers of non-EU countries will also be attending the meeting.