Finnish Minister: Bulgaria, Romania to Enter Schengen Side by Side

Finland's Migration and European Affairs Minister Astrid Thors during her visit in Sofia on Tuesday, February 8. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria and Romania are not likely to join the Schengen Agreement seperately, Finland's Migration and European Affairs Minister Astrid Thors said in an exclusive interview for Novinite. com (Sofia News Agency.)

"I think it is very much up to Romania and Bulgaria to discuss this issue, but that would entail extra costs for both countries, which hardly would be necessary for a short term. So, in my opinion, such an option is more or less excluded," Astrid Thors stated.

She refused to judge whether Bulgaria is lagging behind its neighbor and fellow EU newcomer in covering the criteria for accession in Europe's border-free zone.

At the end of January, Finland joined France and Germany, the Netherlands and Austria in opposing Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the Schengen Agreement as soon as expected, following a decision to this effect of Finland's committee for European affairs.

Bulgaria and Romania hoped to join the EU's border-free zone in March, but such an option is now deemed highly unlikely.

Hungary may decide to put this issue on the agenda of the Council of Interior Ministers of the EU, due on February 24, but the decision will most probably be negative.

On February 8, Astrid Thors visited Bulgaria to meet the country's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov. Prior to that, she also visited Romania.

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