President Radev: The Priority Goal for Bulgaria and Romania is Schengen

"We have a common responsibility for security in the region. A priority common goal for our two countries is Schengen and we declare our readiness for our acceptance as soon as possible". This was stated by President Rumen Radev after a meeting with his Romanian colleague Klaus Iohannis, who is visiting Bulgaria at the invitation of the Bulgarian head of state.

"We will work in a consolidated manner to remove our barrier to Schengen, for our faster collective accession," said President Radev.

And more: "We declare our determination to make even greater efforts for our timely acceptance, in the fastest possible way, in the Schengen area". According to the president, the unfair barrier that is placed in front of the two countries should not be used to solve internal political and other issues by some member countries of the European Union.

The fastest possible lifting of this barrier will give an additional impetus to the development of the economies of Bulgaria and Romania and will meet the fair expectations of the citizens of both countries for equal rights in the EU, the president also said.

Radev and Iohannis signed a political declaration on raising bilateral cooperation to the level of a strategic partnership.

This visit of the president of Romania is more special because it raises the relations between the two countries to the level of a strategic partnership, Radev noted at the joint press conference with the head of state of Romania.