NEWS

The Czech Republic will offer support to Bulgaria in protecting the external EU border. This is what Presidents Rosen Plevneliev and Milos Zeman said at a joint news conference in Prague. The Bulgarian Head of State arrived on a two-day official visit where he is holding talks with his Czech counterpart. 

 

The two countries will coordinate the technical details related to the support Bulgaria needs and this will happen as soon as possible, President Milos Zeman said and added that the other EU member states should also show solidarity with the countries which are under the greatest migratory pressure.

 

Since the very beginning of the migration crisis, Bulgaria has been demonstrating its efficient work along the longest EU land border with Turkey, President Rosen Plevneliev said. "Our good results are also based on the good cooperation between the Bulgarian and Turkish authorities. To combat illegal traffickers, address the problems of immigrants and safeguard their rights and freedoms, we need to work together with Turkey. We sincerely believe that the EU-Turkey agreement has a clear meaning and will be implemented." According to Plevneliev, the interaction between the Bulgarian and Turkish authorities in curbing the migratory pressure proves that the agreement can be efficient, one way or another.

 

"We do not want the so-called Balkan route to be reopened, nor do we want alternative routes to appear," President Rosen Plevneliev was adamant in reply to a journalist’s question. In Prague the Head of State called for a pragmatic approach and closer cooperation between the EU and its neighbors in tackling the migration crisis in order to allay the fears of European citizens about mass migration to Europe from neighboring crisis spots. "We need a stricter control of our external borders, more efficient diplomacy and closer cooperation," President Plevneliev said further in the Czech capital. 

 

The Bulgarian Head of State was welcomed with an official ceremony in the Prague castle in the Czech capital. The two presidents talked tete-a-tete and after that the official talks between the delegations were held. 

 

Statement by Head of State Iliana Iotova

For projects aimed at improving connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye must be viewed as a whole, to be successful, and within the context of closer cooperation in Southeastern Europe. This will bolster both economic development and security in the region, whose strategic importance is growing. This was stated by President Iliana Iotova at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a formal visit to Bulgaria.

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.

Iliana Iotova raised the issue of depopulation in the area along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and highlighted the need for investment to counter the adverse demographic trend.