site.bta Bulgaria to Ask EUR 160 Mln to Be Made Immediately Available for Its Border Security, Visegrad Group to Support Request

Bulgaria to Ask EUR 160 Mln to Be Made Immediately Available for Its Border Security, Visegrad Group to Support Request


Bourgas, September 14 (BTA) - At the Bratislava Summit Friday, Bulgaria will insist that 160 million euro be made immediately available for border protection with equipment, vehicles and personnel. This transpired from remarks by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov Wenesday as he and Hungarian counterpart
 Viktor Orban inspected facilities at the Bulgarian border with Turkey. 

The request will be officially made in Bratislava as the EU state and government leaders discuss the migrant crisis.

According to Borissov, the Visegrad Group will back Bulgaria and Orban vowed his country's full support for the Bulgarian request.  

Two days ahead of the informal meeting of the 27 heads of state and government in the EU in the Slovak capital, the government leaders of Bulgaria and Hungary inspected the land border between Bulgaria and Turkey and the border fence at the Lessovo checkpoint.

Orban reportedly said that the argument in favour of supporting the Bulgarian request is "very simple". "If we can give 3 billion euro to Turkey which is not a EU member state, then it is impossible not to give 160 million euro to Bulgaria, which is in the EU."

"We must draw the southern border and concentrate equipment, resources and manpower there. We have to do it to support each other, not at each other's expense," Orban said.

Borissov said that up until recently Bulgaria has been alone in protecting its border and has had huge difficulty. "Without joint efforts by all EU states, a lasting solution cannot be found," he added. 

The Bulgarian Prime Minister said that his country will accept support in border protection but he also underscored the importance of the EU-Turkey agreement for controlling the migrant flow.
     
Orban said that he was happy with what he saw during the visit to the border facilities. "Here they understand exactly what real life is. There is no European talk - this is the absolute reality here," he said. 

In his words, Europe's worst problem is its naivete: it is at the core of its policy on migration. 

He said that over 1 million illegal migrants have entered Europe and blamed it on Europe's "benevolent naivete". "When security is at stake, we must stand with two feet firmly on the ground," the Hungarian Prime Minister said.

He said that Prime Minister Borissov and his government have done a lot of work but it is not fair to leave Bulgaria on its own protecting its border because it is not protecting itself only but all Europeans.

"Everybody must understand that the future of Europe is decided here, where we stand - not in Brussels. This is why protecting successfully Bulgaria is in everybody's best interest," Orban added as quoted by the government press office.

Prime Minister Borissov stressed the fine relations Bulgaria has with the Turkish authorities and said that the fence along his country's border with Turkey is meant against illegal entries - not against Turkey.

"I was the first to go to Turkey and I brought upon myself rash comments. After that the leaders of the EU and NATO - [European Parliament President Martin] Schulz, [High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica] Mogherini and [NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh] Rasmussen - came under the same flags. And nobody talks of ultimatums. Today I am thankful to all colleagues in Europe for the understanding that the agreement with Turkey, good or bad, works and the migrant flow has diminished considerably, for understanding that putting ultimatums to the largest economy in Europe is not the way to go. The Turkish partners have become more prone to dialogue. The visa requirements can always be relaxed for a certain category of people. In Bulgaria, some people travel on a daily basis - what is the problem, if we know who they are? The talks will continue for all the rest," Borissov said.

Borissov and Orban urged Greece to observe its obligations as a Schengen member and said that they expect to hear answers on this question.

The migrant crisis and support for the countries bearing the brunt of it, featured prominently on the agenda during a working dinner than Orban and Borissov had in Bourgas with the Serbian Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic. 

Orban was also asked by reporters about the race for a new UN Secretary General and he commented that it offers a historic opportunity to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to nominate a candidate. "Bulgaria has many women who are talented and respected world-wide. Whom it will nominate is a sovereign decision. I only hope that we will not miss a chance and not give the opportunity to a second candidate if the present candidate does not receive enough support," he said.

The Bulgarian nominee in the race, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, has not performed strongly in the four Security Council ballots so far and European Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva was tipped as a possible second candidate. Prime Minister Borissov said September 13, however, that Bulgaria continues to support Bokova in the hope that it will be among the first two most supported candidates in the next ballot on September 26.

Orban said, "We respect Commissioner Georgieva, she has earned a lot of respect for herself and for Bulgaria. We would gladly support her. But whom Bulgaria will nominate, is a decision for the Bulgarian government to make. An opportunity for Central Europe is in Bulgaria's hands."

Orban said that the call of Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn for Hungary to be suspended or even expelled from the European Union because of its "massive violation" of EU fundamental values, was "a political joke".

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In his State of the Union Address on Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that he wants to see at least 200 extra Frontex border guards and 50 extra vehicles deployed at the Bulgarian external borders as of  October.

He recalled that Frontex already has over 100 agents on the ground at the Bulgarian border with Turkey and over 600 in Greece.

"We need to know who is crossing our borders. That is why we will defend our borders with the new European Border and Coast Guard, which is now being formalised by Parliament and Council, just nine months after the Commission proposed it," Juncker said.  He went on to call upon the EU institutions and the
Member States to work very closely together to quickly help set up the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency which will be part of the the European Border and Coast Guard together with the national authorities and coastguards responsible for border management.