European integration

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, along with five more European leaders, will travel to Cairo Sunday.

The other leaders are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and the Prime Ministers of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, and Italy, Giorgia Meloni.

Anticipation mounts as Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, hints at an imminent decision regarding Bulgaria and Romania's potential accession to the Schengen Area via land routes. Following the European Parliament elections, Schinas foresees a pivotal moment where the two countries may finally secure this vital membership expansion.

In an interview with BTA, Bulgarian MEP Eva Maydell, representing the European People's Party/GERB, emphasized Bulgaria's need to prioritize efforts towards achieving full Schengen membership. Maydell's remarks come amid ongoing discussions surrounding Bulgaria's path to integration and the potential implications of semi-European solutions such as the Mini-Schengen Area.

"We have several proposals for a declaration, we'll see... The only thing I can say is that I will stick to the principles adopted by the National Security Council of the Republic of Serbia two years ago," Vui told the gathered journalists.

In the capital of Albania, on the occasion of the summit, Ukrainian flags were hung on the central streets, and the sign "Ukraine-Southeastern Europe Summit" was placed on the plateau of the Congress Palace itself.

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron welcomed his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on Monday at the Elysee Palace in the French capital for a short-notice working meeting on the war in Ukraine.

Currently under way, the conference aims to send the message to Moscow that Ukraine's allies are determined to prevent Russia's dominance in the conflict it initiated three years ago.

"There are many areas in which France and Bulgaria are becoming increasingly close, and which are based on the European project, such as European security and defense, energy, particularly nuclear energy, and the strengthening of European integration".

In a landscape fraught with political tension and economic intricacies, Bulgaria stands at the precipice of a pivotal juncture in its European integration journey. As aspirations for Eurozone membership loom large on the horizon, projections hint at a potential entry by 2025, marking a significant milestone in the country's quest for broader European alignment.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov announced that the Bulgarian state is actively seeking options to support farmers amidst widespread protests across the European Union. During a parliamentary control blitz, Denkov highlighted the government's commitment to addressing the concerns of farmers, acknowledging the need for additional support.

Ilhan Kyuchyuk, a prominent Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament representing "Renew Europe," has expressed a tempered view on Bulgaria's Schengen prospects, suggesting that the country may face delays in its land-based Schengen entry.