European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker. (Source: Getty)

European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker made this statement in an interview with the German press on May 7.

Mr. Juncker emphasized that the route through the Alpine mountains is Europe's main transport corridor and the main route connecting the North and South of the continent, so any obstruction at the Brenner Pass would not only have serious economic consequences but also entail heavy political consequences.

Mr Juncker also expressed concern that Austria's actions would prompt other countries in Europe to respond by also closing their borders.

Austrian authorities are pushing to build a 370-meter-long barrier system at the Brenner Pass, a vital route between Italy and Austria, to reduce the flow of migrants from Italy into the country.

With more than 28,500 migrants arriving since January 1, Italy has once again become the main gateway for migrants to Europe following the implementation of the EU-Türkiye deal, and the earlier closure of the Balkan route from Greece.

Italy is not only concerned about Austria's border closure, which will leave migrants stranded in Italy, but also about the possible economic consequences.

The Italy-Austria border is a transit route for more than 40% of the goods transported each year from Italy to European countries by road. Therefore, increasing controls at the Austrian border will increase the travel time of means of transport, push up transportation costs and cause an estimated loss of more than 1 billion euros to Italian businesses each year./.

According to Vietnam+