NEWS

Rumen Radev: Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to Schengen cannot be held hostage to the Netherlands' domestic policy

Regardless of what EU mechanisms will be adopted to compensate for high gas prices, Bulgaria will not allow the transfer of funds to countries with greater financial capabilities

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen cannot be held hostage to the domestic politics of the Netherlands, where elections are due next spring, and such policies cannot last long, President Radev told reporters in Brussels in response to a question about the resolution adopted by the Dutch parliament regarding the accession of this country and Romania to the Schengen area. The head of State took part in the EU Council HoSG meeting, which is taking place in the Belgian capital, and held talks on the issue with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, as well as with a number of his colleagues.

The most important thing is that we have a positive result from the European Commission's inspection in Bulgaria, all EU countries are now behind Bulgaria, our MEPs are united and this support will yield an outcome, Radev opined. The President expressed his gratitude to the Interior Ministry employees, to all the services and institutions that have worked and represented Bulgaria in a very good way during the inspection and that are committed to the protection of the Bulgarian border and the EU's external border. The head of State stressed that he expects from the European partners solidarity, awareness of Europe's economic interest and a solution for Schengen for the sake of common security.

Radev also reminded that the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU is working on all procedural mechanisms so that a solution is found to this issue. The Netherlands is increasingly isolated. This is the most important thing. We also need a lot of communication to explain the importance of Bulgaria in protecting the common European border and what it means in times of economic crisis to stand with blocked borders. What it means for our economy and for Europe, for all dynamic sectors in which the fast and free movement of people, goods, services, capital is important, to face unnecessary obstruction at the moment, the head of State further said.

Asked about the European mechanisms to compensate the member states for the high natural gas prices, the President said that Bulgaria should make sure that the national interest is not obscured in any way. European countries have very different specificities in terms of electricity production and it is difficult to find an intersection. We must not allow for Bulgaria to transfer funds to a country with greater financial capabilities, Radev stressed. In the President's words, the European Council managed to pool around the principled position of protecting households, businesses and the most vulnerable, and to preserve the EU's competitiveness.