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Luxembourg (AP) - Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has emphasized the great importance of open borders, including in the corona pandemic.

Luxembourg's State Ministry announced on Tuesday that he had pointed this out in telephone conversations with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

Open borders are important to guarantee the movement of people and the transport of goods - especially for cross-border commuters. The exchange also dealt with measures to combat the coronavirus, the risks of the spread of virus mutations and the progress of the vaccination programs. In mid-March 2020, due to the corona pandemic, Germany temporarily reintroduced border controls and blocked crossings for people who wanted to cross the border without a “valid reason”. The border was reopened in mid-May after severe criticism. Usually more than 200,000 people from Belgium, Germany and France commute to Luxembourg to work every day.