VIENNA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec on Wednesday criticized Austria for extending border controls along their shared border.

Slovenia is "not against border controls when they are necessary," but it already has its own controls implemented at its section of the Schengen external border, Sarec told a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart, Sebastian Kurz, after a bilateral meeting.

His country is in agreement with Austria, however, that the external borders of the European Union should be better protected, Sarec said.

Kurz defended the six-month extension of the controls past their Nov. 11 deadline. While stressing that he is staunchly pro-European, he said numerous bad decisions made during the initial migrant crisis in 2015 have made the controls necessary.