Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic says he is "surprised and shocked" by the Hungarian government's plan to close the border with Serbia and erect a fence along the shared border to keep out illegal migrants.
"I am surprised and shocked. We will discuss this decision with our Hungarian colleagues," Vucic told Serbian state TV during a visit to Oslo.
Earlier on June 17, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the government instructed the Interior Ministry to "begin preparation work for a 4-meter-high fence along the length" of the 175-kilometer border.
"Immigration is one of the most serious problem facing the European Union today," Szijjarto told journalists. "The EU's countries seek a solution, but Hungary cannot afford to wait any longer."
The number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary, mostly across the southern border with Serbia, has sky-rocketed since the second half of 2014.
Officials said that so far this year, some 54,000 migrants had entered Hungary, up from 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012.