Austria's president criticises government for blocking Romania, Bulgaria Schengen entry

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said on Friday that he regrets the Austrian government's decision to block Romania and Bulgaria from joining Europe's open-borders Schengen area.

"It is true that Austria is in a difficult situation due to the very high number of asylum seekers. But the Schengen blockade does not contribute to a solution," he wrote on Twitter.

Van der Bellen expressed hope that a solution through dialogue with European Union partners would be found soon.