Germany in Favor of the Schengen Entry Talks

Upon visiting Sofia in the early spring, the German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that Germany is open to talks on allowing Romania and Bulgaria to enter the passport-free travel zone of Schengen. The foreign minister further stated that the two countries have been members of the European Union since 2007 and have sought for a positive Schengen status ever since 2011. Until now that has gone with no success.

In one of his last visits to Romania, the president of Bulgaria Mr. Rosen Plevneliev also commented on the important control that Bulgaria offers as part of the external border of the European Union. The efforts of the country were stated to be very good, better than the efforts of many other European Union countries that are already members of the Schengen zone.

According to the President Rosen Plevneliev, Romania being with the new president Klaus Iohannis has made a serious progress in her fight against the corruption. He also said that Bulgaria has to catch up in that aspect. The founding nations of the European Union such as France and the Netherlands have urged Romania and Bulgaria to be stricter about tackling the corruption and securing their borders, before they join the Schengen zone.