Schengen Area

In a parliamentary control session today, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov disclosed that refugee centers across the nation are currently operating at just 50% capacity, attributing the decline to the recent implementation of the air and sea Schengen agreement.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel, engaged in a productive conversation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, regarding Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area.

Bulgarian Premier Nikolai Denkov addressed the ongoing negotiations surrounding Bulgaria's potential accession to the Schengen Area, emphasizing the country's engagement with the European Commission while navigating challenges posed by Austria.

Austria is considering prolonging border controls with its Schengen neighbors due to the surge in migrant arrivals, announced Interior Minister Gerhard Karner during a press conference in Vienna alongside Bavarian counterpart Joachim Herrmann.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov weighed in on the ongoing dispute between the leaderships of WCC-DB and GERB regarding the appointment of the next foreign minister after the rotational change.

During a meeting in The Hague, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed his strong support for Bulgaria's immediate acceptance as a full member of the Schengen area, including for land borders. Currently, Bulgaria is accepted into the "air and sea Schengen".

As Bulgaria awaits full acceptance into the Schengen zone, Momchil Indjov, a Club Z correspondent in Brussels, emphasizes the crucial role of the Netherlands in determining the country's fate. Indjov highlights the necessity for a new vote by EU member states, with the Netherlands once again needing to affirm its approval.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov is set to embark on a one-day visit to The Hague for discussions with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The agenda for their meeting includes bilateral matters, European Union-related issues, and Bulgaria's strategic priorities, notably its aspirations to join the land Schengen and Eurozone.

In a recent interview with tagesspiegel.de, Asen Vassilev, Bulgaria's Minister of Finance, unveiled the economic strain inflicted on the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), estimating losses between 3 to 5 percent.

In a joint meeting, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel and Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita-Teodora Odobescu vowed to coordinate actions to eliminate internal European border checks. The two nations are set to work closely for their partial Schengen accession on March 31, seeking the support of the European Commission.