Bulgaria Insists On Full Membership In The Schengen Area

Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov participated today in a tripartite meeting with the interior ministers of Austria and Romania - Gerhard Karner and Catalin Predoiu, at which he introduced them to Bulgaria's position for full Schengen membership, the Ministry of the Interior announced.

"Bulgaria and Romania have fulfilled all the criteria for full Schengen membership, and the results of the last mission to Bulgaria, conducted by experts from the member states, including Austria and the Netherlands, prove this again," Minister Stoyanov emphasized during the meeting.

Talks between the three countries are intense, progress is being made and discussions will continue.

The tripartite meeting took place within the framework of the ministerial conference of the countries of the Salzburg Forum, which is being held in Brdo Castle near Kranj, Slovenia. The ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia participate in it.

During the forum, the interior ministers discussed the topics of the current state of the Schengen area and the fight against channeling.

Bulgaria emphasized the importance of the right to free movement and pointed out that it already contributes to guaranteeing the security of the Schengen area by implementing a complex of compensatory measures and all available tools for stable border control and police cooperation. Minister Kalin Stoyanov expressed confidence that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen will contribute to the consolidation of the space without internal borders and its better functioning.

In the subsequent discussion, the other member states expressed full support for the immediate adoption of a decision on full Schengen membership for Bulgaria and Romania.

In relation to the fight against trafficking, Bulgaria presented the consistent efforts it is making to counter illegal migration and criminal groups of channeling. Emphasis was placed on the legislative changes undertaken, providing for higher sanctions for channeling, the operational task force established, together with Europol, and the active international cooperation on a bilateral basis and within the EMPACT platform. Bulgaria expressed support for the recently presented legislative proposals of the EC to strengthen the role of Europol and harmonize criminal sanctions for channeling.

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