The Foreign Minister of Bulgaria confirms Bulgaria is ready for Schengen

During a meeting in Paris, the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Kristian Vigenin, confirmed in front of his French colleague Laurent Fabius that his country Bulgaria is ready to join the passport-free Schengen area. He claimed that Bulgaria has fulfilled all requirements in the proper way. At the same time, the Foreign Minister of France expressed the reluctance of his country to accept Romania and Bulgaria as part of the visa free zone.

Mr. Kristian Vigenin stated that his country has put a lot of efforts into integrating its Roma population and showed eagerness to work together with France in order to solve the problem with the population of Bulgarian Roma in France. The Foreign Minister of Bulgaria confirmed that the government is willing to have a strategic partnership with France including trade and French investments in Bulgaria. He also stated that Bulgaria is in need of support from France in order to deal with the refugee wave that is coming from Syria. At the same time the French Minister showed his positive attitude towards the invitation that was given to him and to the President of France Francois Hollande to visit Bulgaria for the 135th anniversary marking the diplomatic relations between the two countries.