Finland PM Accolades Bulgaria's Fiscal Discipline

Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Katainen is pleased with Bulgaria's will for reforms and fiscal discipline. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Prime Minister of Finland, Jyrki Katainen, is impressed by Bulgaria's fiscal discipline and the planned and executed reforms in the country.

The news was reported by the cabinet's press center.

Katainen has offered the praise during a phone call with his Bulgarian counterpart and leader of the ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB), Boyko Borisov.

During the conversation, Borisov had stressed that Bulgarian is among the top achievers in the European Union in maintaining low budget deficit and low external debt and is the country with the lowest taxes in the EU. He further told the Finnish PM that in January the Parliament will pass the Bill for Confiscation of Illegally Acquired Assets in favor of the State.

The news comes on the heels of reports that Finland has softened its position on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession. The Nordic country is now in favor of the EU opening its air and sea borders with Bulgaria and Romania in March 2012, while land borders would be discussed in July.

Bulgaria and Romania were initially planned to join the Schengen Area in the spring of 2011, but their entry was opposed by France and Germany, which also voiced objections relating not to technical criteria, but rather to corruption and organized crime.

In September, Finland and the Netherlands joined the camp of the opponents, vetoing setting a date for the two countries.

The Netherlands remains unwavering in its position that Bulgaria is not yet ready to join the free zone.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!