16/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Abolition of borders within the Schengen Area and control of migratory flows will be two of the top priorities of the Portuguese EU Presidency which is to begin in July, Portugal's Interior Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday. “Enlargement of the Schengen Area to the nine new EU member states that entered in 2004 (except for Cyprus)” as well as the organisation of “legal immigration channels” are “our two top priorities”, said Mr Costa in Lisbon, reported by AFP. “Our objective is to eliminate all borders” by the end of 2007, within the Schengen Area, he said. To enter the Schengen Area, the new member states are being equipped with the Schengen Information System (SIS1 for All), a prior condition for abolition internal border controls, the minister said. (bc)