Deputy PM: Bulgaria has to be Part of the Schengen Area

Addressing the ambassadors of the EU member states Meglena Kuneva, Bulgarian Deputy PM of European Policies and Institutional Affairs, stated that Bulgaria is accepting its potential entry in the visa free Schengen Area as a matter of security. She further stated that Europe should not allow itself to move at two different speeds as far as security is concerned. The Bulgarian Deputy PM stated that in the latest Paris events in the context, Bulgaria feels that it is very important to show its readiness to be accepted as a member of the Schengen zone.

Meglena Kuneva along with Hristo Ivanov – the Minister of Justice and Deputy and Filip Gunev – the Minister of Interior attended a business lunch with the European countries ambassadors. The meeting was organized by the Embassy of Cyprus. Mrs. Kuneva further commented that Bulgaria is against the association of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification (CVM) with the Schengen Area. Further were discussed the refugees’ integration, the migration pressure and the Bulgarian-Turkish border protection issues. According to Mrs. Kuneva a common European policy should be established on the migration and integration questions, as they concern a great number of countries.