Renewed tensions in Germany over its migrant policy — as the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz meets with Angela Merkel in Berlin. CGTN's Guy Henderson has more.

GUY HENDERSON BERLIN "Migration took centre stage at this meeting --- because before it, German Chancellor Angela Merkel blocked her own Home Affairs Minister from releasing a new "Migration master plan" – which, according to German newspaper Bild, would have proposed giving national authorities the right to turn away asylum seekers who'd had their application rejected or who'd already applied elsewhere in the European Union. That would probably mean Germany's neighbours – including Austria – following suit, to prevent them having to take those people instead – and then there'd be the inevitable chain reaction all the way to those beleaguered countries of Greece and Italy. Thus Chancellor Merkel spoke with some urgency on the issue on Tuesday evening:"

ANGELA MERKEL GERMAN CHANCELLOR "I think that changes need to be undertaken together and we urgently need changes and that's why I have hopes for the EU Council meeting at the end of June but also on actions undertaken by the Austrian presidency. What we shouldn't do, in my opinion, is to force all the responsibility onto the few countries which the refugees arrive at. Rather we need to find a solution together and with one another."

GUY HENDERSON BERLIN "Her Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz is taking on the presidency of the European Council for the second half of 2018. Kurz wants a European solution too: but his priority is not to share the burden amongst EU members, as much as to prevent one - at least inside the bloc."

SEBASTIAN KURZ AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR "A strong European solution can only be achieved if the protection of our external borders works. We have to be the ones to decide who comes into Europe, not the people smugglers. And so we will use our presidency to hopefully take steps forward on this."

GUY HENDERSON BERLIN "So is Merkel about to shift on this issue before her hand is forced by those within her own government? We do not know. It's unlikely without French President Emmanuel Macron's approval — and he comes to Berlin on 19th June. The issue is sure to come up again then. GH, CGTN, BERLIN".