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Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov (R) and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz attend a press conference in Sofia March 15, 2018. Boyko Borissov and Sebastian Kurz said on Thursday the external borders of the European Union should be better protected. (Xinhua/Wang Xinran)

SOFIA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and visiting Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Thursday said the external borders of the European Union (EU) should be better protected.

Those fleeing from wars should enter the EU only through border crossing points, Borissov said at a joint press conference after talks with Kurz.

They should get shelter for a certain period of time and then return to where they came from, Borissov said.

Kurz said in turn that illegal migrants in Central Europe are too many, and external borders of the EU should be strengthened.

He was glad that Bulgaria has been active in this area, Kurz said, adding the EU should cooperate with Turkey in the fight against illegal migration and terrorism.

Meanwhile, Kurz said Austria and Bulgaria shared the view that the Western Balkans should be integrated into the EU as soon as possible.

However, some of these countries still did not meet the criteria for EU membership, he added.