On September 24th, Cătălin Predoiu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, had a new working meeting, via video conference, with Mr. Atanas Ilkov, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Bulgaria.
The meeting is part of the series of periodic meetings of the two officials, for the coordination of measures related to the elimination of controls at the land borders of the Schengen area. Topics of common interest, such as the management of illegal migration and border security, were also on the agenda of the discussions.
The two officials reviewed the main developments in the Schengen file and expressed satisfaction with the close cooperation relationship developed between the relevant ministries of the two countries.
The very good results achieved in recent months in combating illegal migration, organized crime and securing the external borders of the EU were also possible thanks to the good cooperation between the operative structures of the two countries. It was also emphasized that there has been no lapse in the application of European legislation since the elimination of air and sea border controls on March 31st, 2024. These aspects are the main arguments in support of the need to complete the goal of accession to the Schengen area.
Minister Predoiu mentioned the constant support of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the completion of the accession to the Schengen area during this year, support that will materialize including by facilitating the discussions within the Council of Justice and Internal Affairs.
The two ministers agreed to maintain close cooperation on this subject and continue discussions to achieve the goal as soon as possible.
