May 25, 2020

Borders Between Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary Could Open Completely in Mid-June

Prague Morning

The borders between Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary could open completely in mid-June.

Following a video conference, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg added that the four prime ministers could soon take a final decision.

“We are returning to normal and this also applies to tourism. Our goal is to open the borders between the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovakia by mid-June, moreover, without the need to submit negative tests or quarantine,” Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he would like to see the country’s borders all open on June 15.

Austria has already started to relax systematic controls at its common border with Slovakia, as the number of infections in both countries has dropped, and the situation seems to be improving.

Besides Slovakia, Austria also has abolished internal border controls with the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, which controls have been imposed in a bid to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

“Factors to be considered when phasing out border restrictions include the protection of human life and health, economic and trade relations, the re-establishment of links between communities living along the borders and a return to normalcy,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.

“Starting Monday, citizens of Hungary and Serbia will be allowed to travel between the two countries without undergoing a mandatory quarantine upon entry,” he added.